Seagulls

 The weather is really nice and sunny at the moment, and we've started our early morning beach walks. It's really nice to get up at 6am, and head down there before work. There are always seagulls and terns flying over the water. Some dive into it to catch fish, whilst others just fly about. It reminded me of one of my favourite books, 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' by Richard Bach. A short, but really lovely and easy read. Sometimes seagulls, in fact all birds for that matter, just fly for fun, because they can.

 

 

There also appears to be a growing number of 'dog joggers'. These are people who decide that it's a good idea to take their usual five or ten mile run in the morning, and feel that their dog wants to do the same. Don't get me wrong, I know that a good long run is very beneficial to mutts, but these are people who have their own aganda, regardless of whether or not their 'pet' wants to stop and just sniff, roll in the sand, splash in the water, or even just socialise with other dogs, all essential to the canine breed. What if the dog is just feeling a bit rough that day? They have to run in fur coats, while in every case, the owner is down to shorts and a vest. Virtually every runner carries water for him/herself, but never for the dog, as they have to wait until later, and it's more convenient for 'A' type jogger. So come on dog joggers, jog on your own time, and spend time with your dog separately. Walk AND run with it, socialise with it yourself, and not just bark 'come on' every time it stops. Let it enjoy the world it lives in a little more......rant over.

 

Anyway, last thing on Friday, and last job of the week done. All of the hedges trimmed, and the grass cut.

 

I liked the way that the sunlight reflected off the windows, and on to the grass. It went with the modern design of this part of the garden.

 

 A long and hot working week, and I needed to shut down completely, and so over to Studland beach for a spot of snoozing in the sun. I took 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' with me, but every time I tried to read, my eyes just closed, and so I let sleep take over, with just the sound of the waves, and the wind in the coastal grass behind.

 

 

By midday it was actually getting a little too hot, and s we decided to grab some things to eat from Swanage, and head over to the Square and Compass, as you know by now, a favourite of ours. The pub car park has wonderful views over the surrounding countryside, and towards the coast about a mile away. Others had arrived in their vans, and with the same idea of just spending time crashed out in the sun. After lunch, we headed across the road to the pub, and mixed with the others in the beer garden. I'm not usually one for beers with fancy things thrown in, but with such a good beer selection, and the young lady serving saying that it is really good, I went for a pint of Chili Plum Porter. A classic rich porter beer flavour, with a tiny afterburn of chili, strangely rather nice.

 

 The view to Winspit from the garden is one I never tire of, whatever the weather. With purbeck stone quarries nearby, the garden is strewn with huge pieces of rock, cleverly positioned into seats and tables. In my mind, it is the best pub in the world. Afterwards we went home for a cup of tea before going down to the allotment. We met the little old Dutch lady who tends the plot next door to ours. Small and not strong looking, she looks after her bit with a vigour that puts us to shame, and is always willing to share any advice that's needed. Sadly her husband, a violinist in the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, can't be with her for a while for health reasons.

 

 

It's Sunday now, 6.30am. Every year we visit Exbury Gardens in the hope of catching the Wisteria in the Sundial Garden in flower, but are either too early, or too late, and so I have kept in touch this time, and we head out today to what is promised to be the Wisteria at it's best. We probably won't get there until about 11am, as we have to stop at a wholesale nursery first, to pick up a van full of bedding plants for work next week. If I remember, I shall post a picture of the Wisteria on here.

 

Have a good and peaceful Sunday.