A splash with paint
Rain allowed a few hours painting and this is how far I’ve come in three days. Plenty left to do and I’ve repainted the gate twice already . Will rub back tomorrow and keep working.
Summer Rain
A leaden sky dark grey marauds against the brightness of the morning. A stillness; time suspended; all nature waits. Slow to fall the sound awakens, perceptions heightened. Olfactory senses stirred by primeval smells of spores released. A reawakening - nature's release. Rejuvenation or decay, water replenishes. Droplets quicken- a move to a different tempo. Sounds intensify against hard earth. Nature responds: Birds quieten, Plants stand tall, Colours intensify against the grey. With gentleness it falls , The weathervane redundant; Windless Slow moving Thirst quenching Life-giving. Into pools and rivulets, streams in the lane, each droplet finding its course, Repurposed, Focused. For each living thing hydration. Repurposed, Focused, Changed. Ruth Partridge
Final structure on the vegetable garden
Putting the bean canes in always signals the last of the planting out and completion of the veg layout ( not the work involved). Tying with snake and square lashing reminds me of Girl Guides. How thankful I am that I learnt how to tie knots correctly.
The joy of morning
Loving having breakfast with these two . Soda bread rolls and fruit in the hut and the joy of rain for the garden. The contrasts we see in our weather are beautiful.
Early Summer Run
A dusty road snaking down To sound of constant whine. The rumbling sound of trailers carried, Grass-cutting is the sign Of summer in this ancient lane- A vein off an artery. None will know that this exists Save those whose lane it be. To run this route is less well known But beautiful all the same. It slopes away beneath the hill Contouring is this lane. So stride is long and metres swift From top to valley floor. The river is a welcome sight, The shade of trees assured. The river's sound is pleasant now- A soft flow through the gorge. Slabs of stone are now revealed Undercut by constant force. Sparkling water runs so clear And tempting it would be To take a dip within its depths As it glints and beckons me. Instead the view of houses Perched up on the hill; The choice is there- short and steep- Or even longer still. Past the old kiln cottages The true height though is hidden A laboured run up the narrow track Roughly worn and pot hole riven. This, an hour, is not so long As others on my rounds, But offers up the best in choice of running steep hills down. The shelter though and trees contrast And the river is a dream And often favoured is this way To run a while unseen. Ruth Partridge
An after work run 6Km
To hit the lane down at rush hour is far from practical ,stopping three times for traffic coming up and down . Once at the bottom though it’s great to turn into the quiet lane and run for miles on a downward run with a gentle slope all the way. To then reach the main road for about 50 yards, I’m reminded that I last did this in the first week of lockdown when I could run down the middle of it. Tonight there were commuters. Before that was the whine of the grass cutting and huge tractors rumbled their way past. On reaching the returning lane, the joy of running under trees was welcome and the gentle sound of the river was inviting especially with the thought of the upward gradient to come.
Evening run – quiet route
8.5km my favoured route of late- the Langford round. Lovely to run through a wooded lane on a track only passable now with care. The difficulty is seen in the steepness around here. Literally steep down and along and back up again. There are few stretches where I can actually get proper long strides in- it’s great when I can. Down hill I have to be so careful to be kind to my knees. Uphill is fine but some of these are 1in 4 possibly 1 in 3 in places.
Broad bodied chasers
Seen today in the pond. The female was yellow bodied and the male powder blue – both unidentifiable by their broad bodies.
Compline
A framed view of fields captured in The golden light Of long shadows and filtered sun; Where sheep graze , their coats full and heavy, And lambs in groups Charge to and fro in playful chatter. Where dappled light is cast And dark green of oak filters lime Through leaves caught by the sun Down into the sunken lane; Where the air is close; The heat intense; Breath is heavy; Holding on to the warmth of the day. Stirrings in the bank as I run past Rustles and urgent calls of a thrush- That elusive bird of dawn and dusk- Darts across. Bullfinches play out in final flourish Branch to branch- with seemingly no purpose But to enjoy. The flowers too- Colours intensified Of striking foxglove and blousy willowherb. A bee works frantically Petal to petal Bright yellow buttercups and campion Face upward, Tall grasses arch over. The air thick with the scent of honeysuckle. Time is running; I am stopping To watch, to look and save the view. Waiting. A cloud of dust : a tractor passes; The farmer waves And makes his way home. The air settles and the view clears. My breath is stilled. This simple beauty of a world intensified Just before the sun goes down in Rhythm of the day. Where all creation seems held In harmonious pursuit of calm enjoyment. This is their church and mine to share. Before the ending of the day Grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Ruth Partridge
Ruth Partridge 