Musings from Lot 12

Wednesday morning dawned sunny and warm, the 3rd day in a row of this. After checking email and the headlines while having a tasty breakfast I decided that it was time to force myself to start walking again. I don't enjoy walking alone or walking the same route all the time. But since Val was till safely tucked up in bed and her RA precludes long walks I don't have much choice. The option of tomorrow has already been used to death and brought to my curent state of health and since there is no cure for diabetes or obesity except to get off my arse and do something and it is a lovely sunny warm morning I got dressed and dragged myself out. I also do not enjoy walking up and down hills (Good Friday cemented that into my brain for all time) so I drove to the back of the lot and walked from there down to the big lake where I turned around and walked back to the truck. About 2 km in 25 minutes or so. Not a pavement scorching pace but a pleasant walk and I am trying to convnce myself that I got some cardio benefit. Along the way though, that was the really great part. The birds are back and doing their springtime thing with a passion (pun intended). Robins, flickers, cranes and assorted little dickie birds that I can not identify but which flit and warble and posture in search of that perfect mate. I couldn't see them but could hear a snipe winnowing - climbing high into the sky and then spiralling steeply towards the ground as the wind through the wing feathers makes a distinctive sound that can be heard from long distances and says "look at me, good genes here." Along the road there is a field of perhaps 10 ha. that has gone fallow and is growing a fine crop of willow. This species of willow has bright red bark but because it is spring and there is new growth starting the red has a layer of green in it that I am not sure a camera could capture but which is very striking. Pussy willows are out and it won't be long until the poplar and birch buds begin to swell and produce another crop of green leaves. After getting back to the truck I drove towards the house and decided to swing through my neighbours place to see if any of their daffodils which have gone wild were blooming and sure enough the first few clumps are in blossom. I harvested a nice bunch and brought them into the house just as Val came downstairs.

All this to say that I truly love the place where we live. Its not perfect but it is peaceful and private and comfortable. We are nowhere near our sons and their wives and I miss being close to them. I could list lots of other things to complain about but when I go for a walk like this morning then I know why I love this place. Lot 12 is our little piece of paradise.