Monday 24 May 2010

Good grief............

Doesn't time fly!

I can't believe it's almost a week since my last blog post.

We have just returned from three days camping, fortuitously over the best three days weatherwise this year so far.

The sun shone from morning till night from a cloudless blue sky. We found a perfect pitch with no children nearby, but excellent views of a lovely section of the campsite. Each day a gentle, cooling breeze filtered through our awning sunshade and all was well with the world.

The three days were given over to relaxing, reading, chatting, cooking/eating outdoors and generally letting all the work-related stress of the last few weeks evaporate.

Small Dog voted the weekend one of her best camping trips ever. She had long sleeps in the shade in her own special chair, souvlaki and sausages on consecutive nights, BBQ'd just as the sun was setting over the trees. From her vantage point in the awning she could keep an eye on all the other dogs, not to mention the legions of rabbits who appeared late afternoon to graze on the lush green grass.

And walks.

Lots and lots of walks.

Including one to Catsfield, about which she was both sceptical and fascinated in equal measure. As we strolled along in the sunshine on Saturday afternoon, on the mile and half walk to Catsfield village, she expressed her opinion that a field full of cats would indeed be a sight to behold. However she suspected that keeping cats in a field, with no method of containment, would prove futile, as cats are so good at jumping over fences. She further mused over the advisability of keeping cats in a field in any case, as surely they would come to resent this restriction of their liberties.

Small Dog has a remarkable capacity for philosophical thought.

And sausages.

Anyways, she declared herself thoroughly vindicated when we got all the way to Catsfield without spying a single feline, in a field or otherwise...... merely lots of horses.

Nevertheless, once in Catsfield we availed ourselves of some fresh local grocery supplies at the village store then made a slight detour to the nearby hostelry for some cold liquid refreshment to sustain us before tackling the walk back to the campsite. Unfortunately the walk back was ALL uphill with the consequence that the distance felt twice as long in the mid-afternoon heat. Even Small Dog was dragging her paws by the time we reached the shady sanctuary of our little campervan awning.

All in all a thoroughly lovely break, far from the madding crowd. The weather is due to go downhill from tomorrow, and the looming Bank Holiday Weekend is forecast to be cool and showery.

Just as well then that we have been unable to book anything for next weekend as every campsite within a 2 hour travelling distance is full. Our decision to treat this weekend as our Bank Holiday instead is therefore fully vindicated.

Don't you just love it when a plan works out.....

4 comments:

Michelle said...

Gosh, your mini break sounds glorious and of yesteryear! :o))) We've had the best weather so far this year, but I think the good weather is set to last till Wednesday. Gosh not so good weather for Bank Holiday?! What's new (sigh), it's never good is it? What a relief then that you (AND Small Dog too!) have already enjoyed a wonderful break away from it all! :o))

Michelle xx

Bev said...

Gutted - we should have done the same. Off camping in the cool and shower for the bank holiday. Pants.

Sandra Morris said...

Bev you'll have a lovely time whatever the weather.

Although hot and dry would my preference over cold and wet anyday, especially when combined with camping.

Michelle, we were planning a BBQ party for friends over the Bank Holiday weekend but we may have to reconsider. Unless we have a wellies and umbrella BBQ......

julie campbell said...

sounds idyllic Sandra ! now I am craving sausages LOL
julie xxx