Day 103 – When Nature Calls
You will be pleased to know, that thanks to Darren’s green fingers, my Nan’s Peace Lily is flourishing!
Our herbs and veg have also been pretty successful. I’ve used the parsley, basil and mint quite a bit (in homemade kebabs, pasta dishes and mojitos, respectively). We are also enjoying our lettuce leaves in salads. I can’t believe how joyful it is to eat the fruits of our labour (pardon the pun) and I really hope we are able to keep up with the veg patch when things are “back to normal”.
In the above photo, you may notice our little bug hotel. Darren was making some picnic benches and had a few leftover bits of wood, so he drilled some holes and voila! Days later, mortar bees had taken up residence!
In addition to our buzzy lodgings, I have had to rescue several grasshoppers from our hallway and bathroom. We can only surmise that they have been fleeing the freshly mown hay fields. I also found a bee on my boob, cleaning his furry face and investigating my t-shirt, eventually realising the flowers were merely a pattern (it must have been a boob-bee, ha!).
Then, walking back from the shop Wednesday evening I noticed a large bird circling the field next to my house. As I got closer, I noticed the shape of its tail and colour of its plumage, and couldn’t believe my eyes – a red kite was searching for a snack – I didn’t even know we had them in this area! It soared over my head, no more than a few metres above me. I cast my shopping bags aside and fumbled maniacally around in my handbag for my phone, but sadly I didn’t find it in time to take a picture. It had flown off into the distance, its wings outspread as it glided.
It’s basically Ace Ventura Pet Detective up in here!
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The temperature itself soared last week, too hot for me to take my lunchtime walks. Thursday was particularly scorching and I spent the entire day next to a tower fan, devouring ice creams as I worked.
Two of my friends came over in the evening, keen to explore the countryside and catch up over a picnic. We went on a long walk and I proudly showed them around the area I now call home. We trekked over wooden bridges and looked at our reflections in the calm stream. We laughed as we shared old memories, avoiding sheep (and their poo) and swatting away mozzies. And I showed them all the local sights i.e. the visiting fish ‘n’ chip van, pubs and the cow-whispering field.
Before sunset we tentatively dipped our toes in the River Stour. It felt divine! The walk had made us hot and sweaty and we were definitely ready to cool off. The water was crystal clear and the weeds were silky and slippery beneath our feet. The sound of bubbling water on the rocks sounded so relaxing and added to the still, calm atmosphere. It was perfect.
We splashed around and posed for silly photos and laughed a lot. I didn’t realise how much I had missed this – the fun and chatter with friends – and I felt energised and carefree. We made a pact to invest in inflatable unicorns so that we can float down the river with margaritas during the next heatwave.
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After they left, I sat for a moment and enjoyed the last few minutes of sun on my face. My hair was wet from the river and the seat cushion was soaking up the water from my bikini bottoms. I felt peaceful and thoughtful and so pleased to reconnect with close friends, albeit 2 metres apart.
Life in lockdown is challenging. It is hard for many people and scary for all of us. But I have been able to take so many positives from an otherwise horrible situation: I have fully submersed myself in my surroundings and have discovered a new love of Nature; I appreciate my family and friends more than ever; I have a new-found fondness (love is too strong a word) for keeping fit; and I have discovered what really makes me feel relaxed and happy.