Whispers of Summer

The walk to 'Chocolate'

It's the perfect moment for blogging, I turn to look out the window to see sheets of rain being blown in waves across the fields. It's as though someone's chosen the 'matt' option on a camera, through the lens everything's been brushed a dull grey with no trace of shine. As my eyes scan across the window frame, the colours outside induce a soft sense of calm; the mossy browns of the estuary, the dark shades of green trees and the pale grey sky - in-offensive and subdued. A sound that seems out of place at the beginning of July sends tingles through my toes ... crackles from the old wood-burning fire, that's become the centre of attention as everyone slowly inches towards it. Since arriving at the cottage, everyone's pace has started to slow a little, as the strings loosen and we tune in to the sounds of summer. 


Like a scene painted with watercolours, the brush swoops over the page and leaves a background of pale blue to simmer on the canvas. So with brighter skies, everyone grabbed a jumper, slipped on a pair of wellies and carefully walked across the seaweed-smeared stepping stones (try saying that one out loud 10 times). 

The paintbrush gets tapped softly, sending down a sprinkle of water that fell lightly around us, leaving little droplets to sit on the long blades of grass & clusters of stinging nettles. The bursts of fuchsia pink foxgloves managed to remain unburdened by the rain, their flawless design creating a slope that lead to the plants below. The walk we were about to go on gets shorter every year.. When I was little it used to feel like hours of trudging uphill through an ominous tunnel in-between fields, dad would keep me distracted with stories of horses and carts that used to ride along, wearing down the ground again and again and creating a perfect walkway. Now, walking through the tunnel encased by green vines is magical (especially after a few puffs :p)... Letting your eyes flit between the dappled patches of sunlight and the weird and wonderful shadows of overhanging leaves. 

Outside the Cottage

Vipassana teaches you to always be present in your environment and surroundings by being aware of your breathing and physical sensations ...  With so little distraction, I tuned in and suddenly felt completely overwhelmed by my senses. Do you tune into the dominating field of sight and let the light absorb your mind? Or the multiplicity of sounds: footsteps, birdsong, wind, tractors, the residue of rain fall. What about the meta-sounds encased within each, how many types of bird-song are there, to what distance can we hear them? As we start to lose our hearing with age, it's the highest frequencies that fade first... so I uncreased my brow and appreciated the shrillest chirps in the sky ...

'One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk:

'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot,

         But being too happy in thine happiness,—

                That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees

           In some melodious plot

         Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,

                Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

....

  Past the near meadows, over the still stream,

     Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep

            In the next valley-glades:

         Was it a vision, or a waking dream?

                Fled is that music:—Do I wake or sleep?

 - John Keats

I came out of my reverie to feel my toes rubbing against the insides of my wellies... you always have to get past that initial feeling of wearing new shoes, until they mold to your feet and become yours, mm. We were nearly at the end of the long tunnel and the hedges on either side of us were getting shorter. There was the occasional window through the leaves, where you could catch a glimpse of the outside world. The fluffy white clouds were sitting comfortably on top of the array of beautiful white houses that formed our nearest beach town- Salcombe. The gradient started to ease and the uphill-climb was over... the smokers in the group panting with relief. The reward? A cider at the Milbrook Inn, our quaint little country pub that used to sell local crab sandwiches for a few quid and now has an extortionate menu only legible if you read French... 

Sunny

The energy here is so special, on top of the lightness of being on holiday, the surroundings range from sandy beaches to untouched woods. In 2009, The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found that compared to people who live in the city, those that lived closer to nature were more likely to have better cardiovascular, respiratory and mental health amongst other things. Sunlight helps regulate our sleep cycle & gives us more vitamin D, while the electromagnetic fields of plants have an incredibly calming & purifying effect on our nervous systems... We've all felt that energetic liberation when surrounded by nature... Mmmm summer's just fucking great :) 

Chocolate

The cloud

The orchard

   Haha - my mind drifts back to last weekend when we felt quite the opposite; it was the second mad 50th birthday of another family friend and as we drove up to his idyllic country home in Bridport, Dorset; everyone was pitching their tents in the orchard and kids were running around laughing, with sticky hands that clasped on to giant marshmallows from the bonfire the night before. I walked through their garden and indulged in veg. porn :o ducking under artichokes on steroids, giant tomatoes ready to burst and clusters of herbs thats distinct smells lingered in your nostrils.. I felt like I'd entered Jack and the Beanstalk or just taken one too many psychedelics .. Soon the kids were all in bed (or wandering around downing forgotten glasses of wine), the thumps of the speakers were projecting dirty tunes for miles beyond the barn and everyone's eyes were rolling with the trippy lazer lights that cut the smoke into a million segments. The rents & I danced until the music got too heavy and we crawled back into our tents that were stuffed with air mattresses and white duvets... racing minds encased in a cloud were put to rest. 

The next morning, no one was really feeling the liberation of being in nature as the rain pelted onto the side of the tent and my bladder screamed at my still, curled up body to get up ... I dreamed about walking to the porta-loo about 5 times before biting the bullet, jumping into wellies and running outside. Yesterdays 'sweet children' had become this mornings head.ache as they continued to run and run and run around their drowsy parents who were taking apart their tents as fast as possible, to drive 3 hours home to comfort..

Second Generation grooves ;) 

''Tis the season of mid-life celebrations, 50th's galore. It's hard to think of one that can top M, C & J's joint 21st/50th. It was pure joy (and sexy music) that filled the air; old (& young) friends shared the decks and kept the flow smooth from start to finish, as the champagne remained plentiful and we got down with the people we'd known all our lives, merging the ever shrinking generation-gap. 

We left that party on a high, buzzing from the love that was too immense for words. Just as we'll leave this cottage again until our annual return. Tonight's our last and as swiftly as the tide has come in, the clouds have cleared and the brush has painted the sky a flawless blue.

My heart's jumping in anticipation as I mentally prepare to embark upon my next journey that'll take me across many oceans to the mistress of spices, where the cow bells ring... 

(A Sexy Evening Tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBXbrOOo2nM) 

Followed by a sexy sunset..

Recipe of the day: Rhubarb, pear and Raspberry crumble with clotted cream 

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3440/rhubarb-and-pear-crumble