The heat has gone…
Summer seems to have disappeared as swiftly as it appeared last May. The extreme heat has abruptly given way to cooler, fresher days needing a cardigan. The days are still relatively warm; it is the drop of so many degrees that make them seem cool. Our bodies have not adjusted yet. One such day was enjoyed on Dartmoor. It was perfect. Not too hot, and not too cold with clear visibility. There were lots of birds, ponies, and cattle to enjoy. I had not been to Buckland before and was delighted to find the famed large stone carved with the ten commandments at the base of Buckland Beacon with no difficulty at all, as well as the church clock which has ‘My dear Mother’ in place of numerals.
This week sees the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers. I recall the 10th fondly as I remember happily spending the day gardening, with an interval to take a phone call from a friend recently moved to Switzerland. Shortly after that, news of the relocation to Exeter broke. Life was never the same again. Twenty-five years on, I am now settled in a house that feels like home with a husband who cares and is attentive to my needs as am I to his. I feel heard and seen. The one constant has been the Norman Lockyer Observatory, without which I cannot imagine life now.
The 11th itself this year, I have spent quietly at home apart from a lovely walk in the warm afternoon sunshine. A contemplative day.
A friendly local barbeque hosted by the local vicar in their garden was much enjoyed by all. There were friends old and new, lots of lovely puddings, and a sausage or two to whet the appetite. The day stayed pleasantly warm well into the evening.
Sunday saw us have Sunday lunch using the new dining chairs given to us by a friend who was downsizing. My original dining chairs had seen over 65 years of use and were becoming a bit wobbly, having been repaired a couple of times. A couple of them shall be saved, and the rest to the recycling centre. A tasty tropical trifle seemed appropriate to enjoy for this occasion, followed by a stroll along the seafront.
Karen Hedges 