Taking the dog into the orchard before bedtime has become a treat:
time to take deep breaths of fresh air,
space for grounding and letting busy thinking drain from my mind,
darkness so deep it reveals the Milky Way (or see clouds chasing across the sky … the moon conceived by fog … rain soaking my face …)
occasion to practice of Tai chi
and feel gratitude for the good things in my life, think about absent friends and family.
Exactly four months of lockdown in the UK and with restrictions easing more and more, many of us are ready to venture out and take off.
I take this as an occasion to suspend my Outdoor Daily blog posts.
For me, it’s been fun and I learned a lot about little things in nature and something about myself.
I’ve discovered the grounding power of gratitude and the joy of seeing beauty everywhere around me.
Thank you for reading my words.
There will be more posts soon, as I start new projects, as and when the easing of lockdown allows.
Stay safe and happy!
The sea!
Whether we swim, paddle, snorkel, sail, dive… we’re only scratching the surface of the biggest ecosystem on the planet.
And yet – it adds so much to our lives!
I wouldn’t want to be without it.
I couldn’t be without it.
Nor could all of humankind.
We depend on the oceans!
Worth protecting and restoring what we can!
You protect what you love, don’t you?
It’s Father’s Day in the UK.
One thing I really don’t miss during lockdown is shopping and, by extension, the madness of consumerism on days, such as this.
Christmas, Valentine’s, Easter, Mothering Sunday, Halloween, Guy Fawkes… what did I forget?
All are occasions when we are made to believe that we can’t express our love for people or enjoy ourselves without purchasing stuff we don’t need and we don’t really want, either.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not wearing a hair shirt and I don’t live in a cave. I have a car and laptop, a smartphone and Goretex wet weather clothing.
I like to give and receive presents like anyone else and for me it’s always the thought that counts.
But the mountains of plastic junk and knick knacks that go with these occasions disturb me for reasons of resources, waste and sustainability.
‘Non-essential’ shops have opened in the UK a week ago. I’ve not been – I continue my daily exercise outdoors and I don’t need new stuff or a shopping experience for entertainment.
Being in a beech forest, on a cliff top or on my paddle board is precious time to me.
And this will not change when the hold of COVID-19 over the way we behave diminishes.
Then, I will just reintroduce more precious time (and hugs) with friends and family into my life. Including those who live 800 miles from here.
Can’t wait to see you again, dad!
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