The answer is, ‘yes’ but for now.
There are many reasons for this, which I won’t go into, but for now we carry on as normal pretending that we may all lose our jobs within the next month. Or not. We just have to wait.
On my way to work on Friday, I stopped off in Pegwell Bay to see if the dawn was worth photographing. As it turned out, it was. I parked the car off the road, and walked into the long grass, and unbeknown to me, into the shallow water of the salt marsh. I did get damp feet when my boots leaked. I found the best location and waited to see if the colours in the sky would get sensational rather than just plain ‘great’. The did, and with the pools in the foreground, I got shots of the dawn and reflections. Well worth stopping off for.
And on my way back, I stopped off just before the harbour tunnel to watch the sun set the other side of the bay. Living on the east coast, getting a clear view of a sunset is tricky, but on the Ramsgate side of Pegwell Bay, the sun sets the other side of the bay, so you get reflections in the bay as well as the sky and the sun setting below the horizon. It was chilly, but not windy, and the sun slipped below the horizon in a stunning mix of colours, with the land turning ever darker and finally to black as light faded from the day. Satisfied, I hopped into the car and headed home.
The weekend was already half an hour old!
So, last week we put the cross-trainer together, and no it was ready for use, now that we had deciphered the instructions and it all seemed to be fine. I first used it Saturday morning before breakfast. I used to be able to go for hours on a cross-trainer, so the plan was to ease into it with an easy 20 minute session. After six minutes I was blowing bubbles, took a breather, and then completed 10 minutes. I laid on the bed, puffing and panting. I was really in that bad a shape. But the up-swing had started. I did another 10 minutes on Sunday; it was hard, but not quite as bad, and so hopefully by the end of this week I will be able to do 10 straight minutes and then build up my stamina a couple of minutes at a time.
And then the serious stuff begins.
So, back to Saturday morning: and after the brief workout and a shower, we headed out for a walk along our road and into the countryside beyond. The ground was still rock hard with frost, and the colours of the land were muted. I took a few shots as we walked, but our plans for a longer walk down the hill were foiled as the sun was already abroad warming the land and turning the mud from something uncomfortable to walk on back into, well, mud.
Back inside, I put the coffee pot on and got the flour out to make one final batch of mince pies. At lunchtime they were ready, and with another cup of coffee went down very well. There was not enough mincemeat for a full batch, so with the rest of the pastry, I made a dozen shortbreads, which came out wonderfully too, and go just as well as the pies with tea or coffee.
And so the usual Saturday afternoon beckoned, with me taking my place on the sofa to listen to the football on the radio. I sat by the window as more birds are now using the feeders in the front garden, even though the cats have now noticed this too. Anyway, whilst sitting on the sofa I snap a house sparrow, and I am pleased with the results. Whilst on the radio I tense up as Norwich take the lead against WBA just before half time, only to give away a goal through a penalty midway through the second half, but whilst a reporter briefed us on the radio of the latest developments, Norwich create a break and sprint up the other end of the pitch for Steve Morrison to head in Grant Holt’s cross. Then came seven minutes tension as the game crawled to completion, and Norwich ended up with the points and so stayed in 9th with 28 incredible points! The ride carries on.
Sunday morning, after another session each on the cross-trainer, we headed out in the car to sunny Deal for a walk along the prom and then breakfast on the pier. It was a bright and glorious morning, we parked the car and headed to the path beside the beach. There were just a few others out, most jogging or just walking their dogs. We walked past the castle, the beached fishing boats and onto the pier. We took a table and ordered the small breakfast and a drink, and soon were tucking into bacon, eggs and beans. Lovely.
After a walk down the High Street, we headed back home to do some chores, and so I could light the wood burner for the chill of the evening. Soon enough the fire was roaring away, and the house warming up, although the crackling of the wood did scare the cats a few times.
And finally, we had our kitchen tap fixed,and it now no longer drip, drop, drips driving us all mad; and now we have a shiny new tap. we just have to save up now to get a shiny new kitchen to go with it. All in good time....
Meanwhile, we are having our oddest winter in the village so far. Mostly it has been so mild, it has felt like spring, if not later, and this has confused the plants in our garden and elsewhere in the village and beyond. Spring bulbs are several inches high already, and on a bank on the main road we saw a daffodil about to bloom. For each of the past three winters we have been here, we had already been snowed in at least one day in each of those years. Maybe it will snow sometime soon. Or not.
At least with the year moving on, it is now nearly daylight when I am travelling to work, and the sun now sets at twenty past four. It feels like spring is just around the corner, even though it is still the middle of January.
And now, it is Tuesday, another week is passing by; the world turns, things change, some things don’t.
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