While the rest of the area was enjoying a hot sunny day here at the coast we were encased in sea mist until mid-afternoon. I didn't have my usual early start today and even then, when I went out with my morning cuppa there was nothing to see beyond the end of the garden. Just a wall of grey. So instead of watching the sea I sat and listened to the sounds around me. There was hardly a sound from the sea birds but the garden birds were making up for their silence with their morning songs. The garden birds, mainly blackbirds and the gang of sparrows with a smattering of wood pigeon cooing are less of a 'dawn chorus' and more like the rowdy chanting of a football crowd.
Eventually the mist began to clear a fraction and the calm surface of the sea came into view.
Around 11.00 Peter was standing out on the terrace checking the ambient temperature in order to work out which clothing to wear while out rowing later on, when he spotted signs of a shoal of fish. Followed by a couple of dolphins.
Once again I didn't go out with my fellow walkers. This was partly due to my lack of enthusiasm for walking around Nant Yr Arian (the red kite place) again but mainly because I wanted to tidy up in our bedroom and my study. Both those rooms were in the midst of me having a 'sort out' and had piles of stuff spread out across the floors which was beginning to stress me out (as they say). My need for tidiness might come as a bit of surprise to family and friends who saw how we lived in Devon. But living in a rambling farmhouse with a husband, three sons, two dogs, cats and chickens none of whom had any concept or need for order and tidiness left me few options. I could have run myself ragged tidying up after everyone, made the family think I was even more of a nagging tyrant by requesting/insisting that they changed their ways (and I did try) or simply opted for cleanliness and a calmer approach to living. I don't think I could have physically or mentally survived the first two choices and chose the third instead.
But now I'm working towards having an organised home which calms my spirit and is so much easier to run giving us time to live at a slower pace and to do the things we enjoy.
As part of the general sort out some stuff, just Christmas decorations and carnival costumes, went up in the loft. I spent quite a lot of time up there first folding back all the tarpaulins that had been protecting everything from the condensation dripping off the underside of the roof. At the moment it is bone dry and very hot up there, hopefully it will stay that way. I moved stuff around, brought down some LA furnishing fabrics and soft toys to go to the charity shop and made sure all the boxes were clearly labelled with their contents. A bag of vintage glassware came down and some picture frames went up.
Now the bedroom is more or less done and in my study I can carry on emptying things from large storage boxes into smaller tubs to go on the shelves.
It was when I emerged from the loft that I discovered the sea mist had rolled back and we were indeed having a very hot and sunny day. I quickly threw some clothes in the washing machine, finished up my tidying and retired to the terrace to enjoy the sun. Speedy came out to join me and wasn't too impressed when he had sun cream applied to his white ear but better that than skin cancer.
The mist rolled back in during the evening so sunset was just an orange glow above a bank of grey mist.
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