Saturday 13 February
This morning was bright, beautiful and cold. This afternoon was bleak, brisk and cloudy.
The first day of the half term break is always a pleasure. There is a calm aura around the house and things slow down. But this morning we had to be up and out for the dog walk because Mabel’s groom was due in the afternoon.
We walked through woodland still carpeted with ice-crusted snow. The clear ground was dry and frozen solid. And we walked across fields usually scattered with sheep which are obviously penned up in weather like this. It was a real spirit-lifter. Again, massive lungfulls of cold air were taken in and each one provided a head rush as chilled oxygen travelled around my body.
This afternoon, we cleaned the house from top to toe. A proper one, where cupboards were pulled out and cleaned behind. And the tops of pipes, and window frames, and that space on the floor behind the toilet bowl. Everything smelled good and looked good in the bright sunshine.
Then Mabel went for her pamper. It’s very odd in the house without her. It really does feel like there’s someone missing. But she returned and normal service was resumed. And she matched the sweet smell of the house. All good.
The Bald Birder 