This last week has seen a marked improvement in the weather here, and it has felt so good after what has been a very long and very wet winter. How long it will last, however, is another matter. The clocks changing at the weekend means we also have lighter evenings to look forward to, which immediately has a positive impact on my energy levels, and has me looking foward to spending more time on the fells, and at the lake.
School has finished now for two weeks, and along with the usual household jobs that I need to get on top of, I also have some lovely things planned. The garden is high up on the list of things which are in need of my attention, and I am desperate to get the raised bed planted up. A visit to the garden centre, this morning, should see that ticked off, at least.
Last Friday, we attended an Easter craft morning, which was a lot of fun, and where we met up with many of our friends. There was rock painting, cake decorating and weaving. Not to mention the complimentary sausage bun and cup of coffee for me :)
In the afternoon we went for a walk to the woods. It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was warm on our backs, and we were able to take off our jackets for a while. The ground was still very wet, however, showing just how much rain we've experienced recently. And as we walked, our boots made that delightful squelchy sound in the mud.
Everything was begining to look rather green all of a sudden, especially the swathes of wild garlic beneath the trees. We managed to gather just enough that I could make some delicious pesto. I say 'managed'. You can see the darker clouds in the photograph above. Fortunately, we were home and in the dry before the heaviest of downpours arrived. I expect a lot of people would have got caught out in it.
While we were in the woods, we also gathered up some sticks for our Easter tree. I'd left it a little late this year, as I hadn't realised that Easter weekend was right at the beginning of our spring break. Oops! Luckily, I had already got some chocolate eggs stashed away in the cupboard.
On Saturday morning, we made our traditional Easter nests. Long gone are the days when Lily needed to stand on a chair in order to reach the mixing bowl. Now that she is getting older, she is quickly catching up with me, and I often wonder how much longer we will enjoy this activity together.
Yesterday, was another beautiful day. Usually, I would have been packing up a picnic lunch and preparing for a walk on the fells. Instead, I went for a long run, followed by a walk along the river. Running is still taking up so much of my free time, but not for too much longer. I do (very much) enjoy running, but I don't particularly like how it has become all consuming. It feels like when I'm not running, I'm either planning a route, or trying to figure out how I can manage to fit a run into my already busy day. The end goal is now in sight, at least.
J. X
