Take a Walk

Since today was being difficult it took me a while to summon the motivation to make a decision on what to do. Some time around lunch I found my jacket and went out for a walk. I just intended to go to the newsagents for a magazine but part way down the hill I thought I might walk a bit further and not return immediately.

For the first time in many days the sun was actually managing to shine around the usual large black clouds, hoodless people were about town, the road-works were mercifully silent and it was lovely to walk. The magazine had not arrived so I wandered through two bookshops just to browse and bought an old Thin Lizzie album, exactly what I needed to banish the blues for a little while.

There were plenty of people along by the river, including the usual discombobulated tourists; I don't know if there is an inaccurate map of town they all receive on arrival, or whether they misread the stretch of river for roadway, but our lovely wide, slow, shallow river, complete with heron, ducks, seagulls and fishermen on the bridges, seems to knock the unsuspecting for six every time.

After a brief stop at the supermarket for chorizo and mushrooms for supper, and a comforting chat with the lady in the Simon Community shop, I headed home via one of the older streets. It delights me every time I take the time to really study the little buildings on the side streets as there are so many truly old, well-maintained, tiny houses stuffed between newer buildings and businesses.

And now Dilly has decided that the grass is dry enough to cut so I am drinking a large mug of strong tea before hauling out the mower. Long grass and weeds depress me so it will be a relief to get it done. Wild and untidy flower beds cause me not a moment's disquiet, neither do weedy and overgrown vegetable patches, but if the grass is meant to be lawn-ish the weeds ought to be short at the least. And since Doggus has eaten all the raspberries and strawberries I grew this year, and started on the tomatoes last week, I suppose I should figure out where to put an intended cage for next year's dog-friendly comestibles. Certainly I did not heretofore realise that dogs enjoyed picking and eating raspberries and strawberries.