A BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY

We had a good morning at Church with an All-Age Service, which included many children’s songs with actions.  We weren’t quite up to “Jumping up and down and spinning right around” as it says in this song, so just did it in our heads, if you get my drift!  Actually looking at this song on Youtube, I don't think we have ever been quite that active whilst singing!  We introduced ourselves to several people after the service and it’s good to be getting to know a few  more people week by week.

After the service, and because it was such a beautiful Spring Day, we went out for a drive but decided not to go too far, being mindful of the cost of petrol, intending to look for dereliction.  I had packed up a picnic, which of course, included sandwiches and a couple of the lemon drizzle cakes made yesterday, with the help of the SSG, and stopped on the Tockenham to Brinkworth road, with this beautiful view to the side of us.  I know it can’t compare with mountains, but we do love the Wiltshire countryside and today with a lovely blue sky and fluffy white clouds, it was a delight to sit there and enjoy our picnic and listen to the sounds of nature and there was even a vapour trail in the sky.  

I did think of our Blip friend, 60Plus, who always manages to find a derelict gate, but with some imagination, you could think that the newish gate at the side of the large one was in place of another that was derelict!  A bit of a stretch of the imagination, but it worked for me and I hope you enjoy the view as  much as we did.

I was just about to eat my lemon drizzle cake, when we heard a tractor in the field opposite and saw it making for the gate on the other side of the road - I quickly jumped out of the car and asked the young man driving whether he wanted us to move.  He said he just needed to get into the field where we were parked, and then we could move back, so that was what we did.  I took a quick shot of the view, which is my main shot, and then took some more shots to make a collage.  You can see the young man unlocking the gate, and I rather liked the words, which are so true, on the back of his sweat shirt “No Farmers.  No Food.  No Future.”  There is also a shot of his tractor;  it had a huge contraption on the back, which he skilfully manoeuvred through the open gates - watching him, we don’t think it was the first time he had done this!

As we drove home, we were amazed at the number of primroses along the grass verges and were surprised to see lots of grape hyacinths, wood anemones and celandines.  What a wonderful spring show nature put on for us.

It was a joy to be out in the Spring sunshine, and although there was an edge to the wind, it wasn’t as cold as yesterday, so that was a bonus.  It won’t be long before we will be taking chairs out with us for our picnics!  We didn’t walk much as Mr. HCB’s knee is still a little sore and he is conserving his strength to sow our wild flower meadow seeds tomorrow so we hope it’s another fine day.

“The beautiful Spring came;
     and when nature resumes
          her loveliness,
the human soul is apt to
     revive also.”
Harriet Ann Jacobs