Last Light

Aren’t these long days just delicious?! We were up at (almost) first light and out for the last of it- topping and tailing the longest day of the year with some midsummer wanderings.

We’ve had some of that very rare British weather, when it’s worth retreating from the midday heat, to find some shade in which to sit and do very little. Fortunately, I have a very exciting read to keep me occupied (more on that later) and a big hat that is only practical if you’re doing absolutely nothing in it.

So the evenings are ours to explore beyond the shade of the back garden: soaking up the last of the day and enjoying the novelty of being out past ten with the light still lingering in the sky.

I don’t want these long days to end, and I hate to even think that we’re now on the shortening curve back to midwinter darkness. But, as always, once they get here I’ll be revelling in wood fires and woolly jumpers. For now, we’ve still got plenty of time to make the most of these long, hot days, and stay up past our bedtime.

Gardening with Fond Neglect

I love the neglected corners of our garden. Who am I kidding- the whole thing’s neglected. But I’d rather do a spot of weeding in my PJs, or after work, than spend my Sundays at the garden centre.

Various flora poke through the cracks amongst the moss. The odd plant, bought on the drive home from a mini adventure, thrives with a little water from the can (minus it’s rose and clogged up with snails, but still working!)

The neighbours lay on a feast of a bird table, and we offer our own feast with the many bugs trundling about our back yard. I always considered our garden to be pretty small, but when life is on a small scale, it seems full of riches.

The brick path is a forest of California poppies, and the sweet peas are blooming bounteously, despite their tangled mess. Alpine strawberries made a surprise appearance this year and trail around the bottom of the roses by the bug hotel. Later in the year the field behind the house will offer up bundles of blackberries, which the neighbours cats gingerly pick their paws over.

With so much happening at work, it’s nice to spend time in a place that demands very little attention. Sure, I often sit here planning what else I’d like to do. But it’s good to see that the garden is still pretty happy with a bit of fond neglect.

1 Day 12 Pics: June

You’d never usually catch me doing so much snapping on a typical Saturday. But Emma and Michelle’s challenge had me pulling out my phone every hour to catch bit of what Tom and I were up to.

We woke up to an incredible thunderstorm- rain hammering down and clouds rumbling; an appropriate setting for the moment we discovered we were out of coffee…

Tom ran through the rain and I met him at Olivo’s for breakfast. Seriously good food: scrambled duck egg, black pudding and apple fritters, and ciabatta toast. There was plenty of coffee.

Back home, I finally started tackling the big pile of books in the loft. You might have noticed on Pinterest that I’ve been having lofty dreams for a while. This is just the beginning of a big job. I’ve taken a ‘before’ picture in the optimistic anticipation of sharing an ‘after’ before too long.

The sun came out and I spent the afternoon gardening and running errands. I love an excuse to take the chain ferry, and picking up goodies for a picnic seems as good an excuse as any.

We spent the last hours of the day exploring the forest and waterways of Newtown. We found a path we’d never explored, leading to a tiny bird hide perched out on the water of Clamerkin Lake. There are still so many places on this Island that I’ve yet to find.

I loved this photography challenge. It made me really aware of every hour in the typical kind of day that can fly by in a blur. It had me noticing more moments, and look for the beauty in them. I hope you’ll join in for July!

Seagulls

Living in a seaside town means I often wake up to the sound of seagulls. I love that instant salt air feel. It reminds me of childhood summer holidays in Cornwall and those cheeky St Ives birds that always try to pinch your chips.

On a still sunny morning their sound carries from the harbour, so different from the song birds in the garden.

Of course, Tom would remind me that there’s no such thing as a ‘seagull’, just many different types of ‘gulls’. In fact, so many different types that they’re hard to name. I think we have black-headed and herring, and glaucous gulls in Cowes but I couldn’t say for sure. I find it’s useful to know a few names to bandy about confidently, even if you have no real idea..

You only have to read The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch to know that a gull’s character is a pretty entertaining thing. From their perch on the seafront they’ll give me a wary eye, trying to look unfazed, but hopping from one foot to the other as I approach.

Their presence is a part of our town’s character, and I love being reminded of it in the morning; a small second of holiday charm at the beginning of a working day.

Yoga Anywhere

I love to stretch, but it’s easy to lose the time to do it. If I have even a two-day yoga streak I feel ridiculously full of sunshine and wholesome goodness. Even ten minutes; why is it so hard to find that time? I’d like to set up my Pinterest app to say “Go away and don’t come back until you’ve done a sun salute.”

When I’m outside under a tree, or on a hill, that’s when a little bit of yoga feels a good idea. It isn’t proper practice, but it is good fun. I’d like to learn this non-stop standing flow for those moments.

Eriz Motz’s thirty day challenge had me ‘namaste’ing at my ipad screen every day, and now she’s teamed up with Andy Zoltan to produce a seriously slick online yoga platform. After much anticipation, MyYogaPro has gone live and got me practising. These longer summer days seem a good place to search for those daily ten minutes. If for no other reason than to do a better balance on the harbour wall.