One year yesterday I broke my right shoulder and it has made me determined to never to take health for granted. I can now lift a full wheelbarrow but it has taken until a month or two ago for this to be possible. I have not got back the full range of movement I once had, and never will. After too much heavy gardening work. like pulling up roots etc it will ache at night and the next day I have to rest it, and as I also have problems with my left hand (I'm left handed) I seem to have to acknowledge that I must do things differently and usually slower. Getting older is no fun at present but with the birth of a grand-daughter in a week or two, there is plenty to look forward to.
The growth in the garden in never ending at present and I've had a lot of pond clearing to do after missing last year's big cutting back session. Irises, water forget-me-nots and water mint had taken over one end of the pond and clearing it yesterday was a hard slog which left me feeling most unwell - I think it was high pressure in my eyes for which I take eye drops, and the fact that I had my head lowered for a very long time. Head and eyes were aching and tense last night and slightly better this morning.
I have been putting out bird food which is something I haven't done before this time of year, and am astounded by the amount of birds feeding. Tits as usual, nuthatches and woodpeckers, chaffinches and wrens, and so I have been drinking my coffee near the feeders to watch them. I have decided that sitting there by the brook and the sound of the water running along the back of the house under the garden bridge entrance is one of the most soothing things for my soul.
The picture above is as I found them, nestled on top of each other in the woods, where Alistair had been chopping logs, hence the wood shavings below them. The picture of the bridge at the top of this blog is where I sit and the bird feeders are just off to the right. There is a crab apple tree and a large wild rose just on the opposite bank from the feeders so the birds have somewhere to hide and flit to and fro as they feed - a place they feel safe.
I'm now feeling inspired to take my work to another level and I am looking at other ways to use my photography and art. Watch this space!
