Saturday 20th November 2015

Friday

Bloody Vanessa wakes me up with her chirpy upbeat brand of radio. OK, you've been up since three, but can you please keep it down a bit, some of us are trying to wake up grumpy.

But it is Friday, which means rounding up the week's work. More meetings and maybe an early stack if my manager, i.e me, lets me. I think I will. After all, I reasise how hard I have worked this week and although another seven hour plus sleep, I still feel like I have missed out on a night's sleep somewhere.

Jools has breakfast then leaves for work, and I am left with just the cats, complaining already with the rain outside. Like I can do anything about it, guys!

I have a meeting, another meeting. And somehow I get given yet more tasks on the job I thought I was finished with!

My allergies have just about been under control, but what I really needed, of course, was some fresh air. And if that fresh air could come in conjunction with some fine sunshine so I could take photos at the same time, then so much the better. Therefore, it came as no surprise that just gone two I turned my laptop off and get ready for a walk.

The forecast was saying there should be two hours of unbroken sunshine from now until sunset, I looked outside and saw clouds. Oh well.

I put on just my fleece over a t shirt, and as soon as I went outside the cold wind cut through the coat, but I knew once walking it would be OK. Along the street to where the track began, and on both sides whatever has been planted in the fields replacing the dried beans are already sprouting. Looks like grass, but what do I know?

The cloud was high, and to the south the sun found a gap in the clouds and sent warm milky sunshine to my back. I went on, but with the path so muddy here, I knew that the bottom of the dip would just about be unpassable, so it would be a short walk. But being outside is good, right?

No sign of the pigs in the copse, but I think I saw the sow in the tin hut deep in the woods, sleeping the cold afternoon away. I did turn down the track to the dip, at least to get views across the valley and down to Kingsdown. I picked a fairly dry path through the puddles and areas of mud.

As I stood at the gate to the big field, a couple of cold looking horses came over to say hello. I had no carrots for them, but they seemed happy enough with a pat on their nose, and so carried on munching grass. I turned for home, tracing my steps and looking into the rays of the setting sun, which had found a large clear area of blue sky to beam down from.

Back across the fields, dodging the dogs eggs and thinking it might be nice to have a beer whilst I watch an episode of Time Team when I got back. Molly joined me on the sofa, stretching out and purring for the whole hour.

That watched, and it being half four, it was time to prepare dinner: chorizo hash, and a meal I can rustle up without thinking too much about it. Jools comes home just as I put the potatoes into fry, so she has time to change out of her work things, pour some drinks, then sit down together and listen to Desert Island Discs.

I don't need to tell you what we did for the rest of the evening, a triple bill of The Bridge, and I am now thinking the police chief is behind it. Could be wrong.