The house has been unusually quiet. The dining table is no longer hidden beneath books and learning resources, and I was able to enjoy some time all to myself before heading out to work this morning. I'm sure it will take some time to adjust to our new routine but I am relieved to be edging closer to some semblance of normality. Despite Lily's initial reluctance to return to school this morning she was very happy to see her friends again and it is so lovely to see the playground full of children.
I woke early, thanks in part to my 'Mog' alarm clock and also in anticipation of the day ahead. Downstairs, I was greeted by the sweet smell of hyacinths. The bulbs I bought last week have flowered and although they can be a little overpowering I love how the fresh scent fills the whole house.
Outside the day has been dark and wet. It's been quite a contrast to the bright sunny days we've enjoyed this last week but it has made the return to school seem slightly easier. I'm pretty sure a warm spring-like day would have resulted in a much greater protest, not from Lily, but from me!
During the week, having finally exhausted our immediate local walks, we went to explore an area, still close by, but which I haven't visited in many years. At the end of a lane and up a steep hill lies an old reservoir, which isn't all that widely known about, even by locals. There is a track which leads right around the water's edge but we were able to extended our walk to include a fell on the far side of the reservoir, which affords views of the hills to the north and east, and also out towards the sea.
The reservoir is surrounded by trees and gorse bushes but the track, still very muddy in parts, was easy to follow and had clearly seen more footfall in more recent years. After passing through a small area of woodland we were soon out on the open fell, able to enjoy the views from the summit before retracing our steps back down towards the water once more.
I am definitely going to miss our afternoon walks now that Lily has returned to school. Somehow any feeling of being overwhelmed by home learning would seemingly fade with every step we took and helped to restore a sense of calm. I have begun to plan for when we are able to travel farther afield again but I'm determined not to overlook the wonderful walks we have close by.
Work has begun in the garden. The paving has been cleaned, and what a difference it has made. It looks so bright now! The bird feeder has been scrubbed, I've weeded the beds and some top soil has been added in anticipation of sowing seeds in the coming weeks. The large planter which I usually use to grow tomatoes has been emptied, ready to be washed and re-painted once the weather improves. It's already a huge improvement and I'm really looking forward to spending lots of time out there again this year.
J. X
