Misunderstanding the best of intentions

I walked into our bedroom at 7.00 with Jane's early morning cup of tea to find her just stirring, as I put down her tea I whispered 'stay asleep' [if you can't have a lie in on Mothering Sunday when can you?] and went downstairs to the children. They were all up for running downstairs and giving Mum her presents, alongside cold coffee soggy toast. But we all kept quiet. Then at 7.40 I went back upstairs, I needed church keys so I could go off and do the 8am Communion. Jane looked up and said, 'Can I get up now?' We ended up doing Mothering Sunday presents at lunch time. Even the best of intentions can go wrong...!

Spring

A woodpecker heard and seen
high up in Kingscliff,
the Parrott at flood-tide flowing upstream at Moorland
[15 miles inland],
glimpses of rising sun as a run;
blossom and daffs and forsythia.

An interview and an half job offer
[which I couldn't take up].
A lauren cut down
to extend the zip-wire;
man-hunting and bouncing and swinging.

Planning and training for school,
with the end at last in sight
and a scary amount to complete.
Church and Cubs, cleaning and cooking and baking;
and I find a moment to speak to Jane.

A time of change
growth
development.

A season of light
warmth,
sudden frost.

Spring.

Blue Suilven

It is the summit that I remember most clearly, close cropped green grass, of the kind that you only get on sandstone, above towering cliffs. But to get there there was a seriously long slog through the bog to the most amazing loch ringed with red sand, then the thousand foot of steep climbing and the ridge, which at times I traversed on my knees.

It is a small mountain, less than 2,500 feet, but it isn't a mountain which is easy to forget, and the more I write the more vivid it becomes. I have remembered my first ever view, from the Altnacealgach. I have remembered the view from Canisp and the view from the Devil's Elbow, upon which this painting is based.

Minehead

This is my attempt at what must be one of the most photographed and painted views in Somerset [Church Steps, Minehead, in case it's completely unrecognisable!]. I painted it over ten years ago and had almost forgotten it, until I saw it hung in a new house.

It was good to get away after Christmas, and to catch up on some sleep and running and some teaching tasks. I got lost up the Barle, and ran up North Hill, including the zig zags without even wanting to stop. Then on our return Jane got Wii fit and it said that I was a couch potato for it's jogging programme! And that morning I'd run up Wills Neck twice.

We set holidays for the rest of the year and I've managed to commit to three crazy runs over the next six months. The 15 3000ft peaks of Snowdonia, the Exmoor coastal marathon and the Classic Quarter - see http://www.endurancelife.com/ for the latter two.

I finally sorted a few cupboards [which have been on my to do list for the past six months] and cleared all the books on my side of the bed. When I asked Jane which ones she wanted to keep on her side I got the response 'What's wrong with all of them'. Jane was prooved right as I remembered why I had kept a Disney Princess musical book of Kathryn's off her bookshelf and deep under the matress!

It's been a good holiday and I'm just about ready to go back, or certainly to send the children back to school.