The sun, blue skies...

Thursday 18th March, 2021

It has been another glorious spring day. The forecast was not encouraging but by midday the sun was almost hot, the sky cloudless, the wind down and one felt refreshed and alive as one breathed the air off the Tay.

I popped down to the village at 11am as I wanted to check if I was needed at the Community Centre and if there was stale bread being thrown away. There was bread which I have since fed to the sea gulls, two very large sedate pigeons and a couple of over active blackbirds. I took to the recycle centre a couple of plastic bags of jam jars. Over the months I have collected them for my home made marmalade and jams and jellies. However Covid restrictions have halted production so they are not needed. As ever I found a couple of furtive looking people recycling many, many bottles of wine, whisky, gin and vodka. They looked relieved when I too started filling the glass recycle bin! We bingers unite in shame! I did not reveal my dry status lest they feel betrayed. I had also taken my litter grabber and half filled a Tesco bag.

It was so lovely that I did not stay long indoors. All I did was answer a few emails. The only post was concerned with the upcoming elections.

At midday I set off for a long walk. I took the grabber and went up over the hills behind the village of Newport and set out on a back lane to Tayport. To my surprise the lane was quite busy. First a very large feed stuffs lorry. Then a large animal bearing lorry, two plough carrying tractors, a couple of vans concerned with forestry and more vans to do with plumbing and decorating.

My walk was gentle as I felt quite tired. I think the sun and wind and walk of yesterday had sapped me. I found a new path through a copse and noted another I will try on another sunny day. I came across many lambs and sheep, across regular walkers and across two families I know from Church. The Tesco bag filled. Three times I sat on moss covered logs and just soaked up the sun and the sounds of nature and the sights of sheep, ploughed fields, burgeoning trees and copses and marauding birds and two buzzards. The pheasant that hates quad bikes and lies in wait for the farm hand who drives them I came across. He was far too trusting and I could easily have poached him. His feathers and colours were magnificent.

Back home I had a large baguette filled with cheddar cheese and mayonnaise, then a piece of simnel cake. I decided to watch a film on Sky and came across the 'Girl with a tattoo'. I had seen it before but watched it again. Marvellously relaxing even though mayhem and murder.

I had hung out my Landlady's washing and brought it in beautifully dry. I intend to have a bath, a real indulgence. It will be a celebration of my friend telling me that the process of my becoming a house holder is nearly a reality. It is incredible the efficiency and expertise.

As I finish this so yet another glorious sunset. Last night I went out in to the dark. The sky was cloudless and the heavens were a display of stars. I stood and wondered and felt a surge of awe. Then I heard the sounds of geese. I could not see them but they were heard and again I was filled with wonder. I heard it again this morning as I returned from the recycling bins. I looked up and there were two skeins of geese, at least two hundred of the birds. It is all so stunning. G.M. Hopkins's poetry came to mind especially the one which opens with a great fanfare of Glory to God.....

Yet we must be real. Last night I watched Roman Kemp's ' Our Silent Emergency'. It is a BBC 3 production about the explosion of suicides among young men. I listened and watched horrified and appalled. At the end I thought sadly that there had not been one mention of God. I am not saying God is an answer or a scapegoat or a sentimentaliser or a solution but I am surprised that the spiritual seemed to be ignored. We cannot fix life for neither life nor reality are in our image but to many faith and hope are spiritual realities. We need both or at least I do. Now to contemplate as I have my bath!