.........and exhale. The frenetic end of term tumbles to a halt and the pace of life suddenly dramatically slows. My lovely lovely kids home for the summer. The weather here is wonderful, soft cloudy mornings, perfect for a dog walk. Swishing through the shoulder high parched overgrown field boundaries. Our Pups leaping up in the air to see, to check we're coming, she's bounding over the corn as we walk behind, she twirls around with sheer doggy joy. My kids, getting taller all the time, in single file as the nettles aren't kind to bare brown legs, walking ahead of me in size order. They're so big now. Gulp. We walk, swinging a stick, chattering, listening for fairies as we wind our way gratefully through the shelter of the shady hollow, our favourite part of this oh so familiar walk.
Then back out into the light again, the sun breaking through, the sight of the High Hill ahead of us. In the autumn or spring, when the weather pushes us on, we climb the hill, so so steep from our direction but so
worth the view at the end - the vale spread out before us. Not today, the heat drives us back into the shade.
Slower on the way home, wet from the stream, little sticky seed pods stuck to our clothes and itching our backs, probably a nettle sting or two, spirits of the smallest flagging, back into our field, chirping with crickets, the hay cut and drying on the ground, waiting to be baled at the weekend.....my favourite time of year.
The day stretching out ahead of us, settle down in the shade in the garden, chickens digging dust baths, paddling pool full and sparkling, a pile of quilts, piles of books and bags of loom bands, the shed to sweep out and turn into a shop, plans to paint the tree house........lovely High Summer Holidays..
