Walks with your Blackbird…

It’s been some weeks now since I moved from the bungalow into my small one bed apartment,. I have settled somewhat into a quiet peaceful existence, falling into an easy routine,. I start with a coffee, of course!😁, while the hot water tank in its (Harry Potter) type cupboard home, gurgles, glugs and fizzles it’s way into heating the water over the next hour…..I feed the birds, read my paper and begin the slow task of waking up for real😁……when the water tank has completed its somewhat noisy heating task, the sounds still emitting from behind the closed door, like it is almost trying to communicate in its strange foreign tongue .,.either that or like my blooming stomach begging for food.,. It’s time to get cleaned up, before I get dressed finally, Because going out in your underwear and baggy t shirt is of course frowned upon here abouts,…

The shower hook up thingy we tried to install here for me, takes forever to get going, then at best it only emits a slow trickle or a slight splutter, spurts or nothing at all in most cases just somewhat rude noises….So I have settled on a happy compromise….the shower thing remains left to its own devices,. while I fill up with the now lovely hot water, two large buckets, And using a half cut up drinks bottle, I get into the bath and start dousing myself with the refreshing water, soaping up and lathering, after which I fill two more with fresh water,and rinse, ….sometimes if I feel brave enough😁, I make the water cool, it wakes me up fully and is quite a fresh sort of sensation, (also of course makes my heart race and I catch my breath but that’s all part of the fun right!?😁.

Some would find this a nuisance, a trial even, I actually really like it, and by simply adding a few drops of peppermint oil to the unscented bubbly shower gel infused water, it’s lovely, and i,m left feeling very clean and somewhat sparklified, 😁,.. I have grown to love this part of my day ….once dressed I tidy up anything that needs doing…I have to say over the passed few weeks though I have grown some what bored, unsettled….I had not gone any further than the front of the flat in a while. rarely if ever seeing anyone to talk too, my mental health was if I’m honest beginning to take a downwould spiral as each day progressed …..

One day quite out of the blue, putting on shoes(this is some what a trail, hate shoes) but I had to collect my now freshly emptied rubbish bin from the kerbside , while there I decided to investigate a gap in the hedge that I had noticed just opposite my flat.., Being of a curious nature, I was intrigued, After weeks at home where people went after going through the gap, (did they just disappear of into some other world?,….I needed to know for myself,.. it did feel a little strange after weeks shut cloistered away,. And walking since the great Covid plague of March 2020, was somewhat hard going, But I just felt the need to explore my surroundings a little, …I hadn’t gone too far when a cheerful voice said hello!, I looked up to see a neighbour getting her bin in, A friendly smile and a wave greater me, …I replied, feeling myself break into a smile also, it’s infectious isn’t it ?,(A smile😁) , Just a few steps on and I had come out onto a lovely patch of grass, shaded by huge leafy green trees..the grass covered in doves foraging about, …I followed a pathway which lead down towards the road just up ahead…slowly i covered the ground, crossed the road and no it didn’t lead off into some form of oblivion, no one vanished, But instead it took me under the most pretty leafy canopy of trees, the tops meeting aside the pathway, Dappling the ground beneath my feet, I looked up at a sudden rustling, to see bushy tailed Grey Squirrels frolicking across the tree limbs, bird song filled the air which was fresh after a night of soft summer rain…

Before I realised it, I had walked to the end, I turned and slowly meandering back, enjoying this somewhat brief spell away from my confines, ….After this I decided to check out other places I had seen, on the Sunday following, walking out in a different direction, ..I had no clue where I was going or indeed in fact where I would end up, but it was the perfect day to explore, over cast, cool, and hardly anyone around….I hadn’t walked but ten minutes when I came out upon an extremely large field, walking just up one side I soon learnt that there was in fact two fields, one leading off through a gap in a hedgerow into another…

Over the next week I decided to become better acquainted with the two large most welcome grassy areas….Each covered in while clover, Golden Vetch, Daisies, tiny purple wild Geranium, along the middle of these two fields grows a very well established row of shrubs, heavily Covered flowering Elder, whose almost star burst of white somewhat Blousy flowers fill the air with Musky warm scent, Climbing tall in amongst them are soft Coral pink wild dog Roses, Both pink and white May flowers, Blackberries bushes., there at their feet, red and white Campion grew in abundance, …I had reached a place at last, where I could walk and enjoy nature about me….And while we are speaking of nature, I have been feeding my birds, four times daily since the move here, One bird in particular has grown used to my sitting outside for coffee, This plucky little male blackbird, pecks around in the grass just inches from where I sit, not a care in the world, we have this understanding, I make no sudden movements and he is happy to share my garden with me…..But what’s even stranger and wonderful, is he follows me upon my walks, this Curious little bird flies from fence to fence, leaning forward to see if I’m still following, his tail bobbing almost in annoyance at my slow and ungainly pace…he tsk, tsk tsks, and flaps almost like he expects me to fly….it would be faster I must admit😁,. By now I know your all saying how did i know this is just one bird and not a number of different ones….For one. he comes right close, Two he has a large bald patch over one eye, And Three, he has the most unique call I have ever heard from a Blackbird…..He doesn’t always join me, I have to think that some times he becomes rather bored of waiting for me to catch up with him, But when he does it’s rather fun playing hide and seek with him, spotting his little plump little body about among the undergrowth, Helps make my walk for me….Thank you for reading, take care of you, stay safe 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦