I'm writing this sitting in the van on a soggy Friday night parked up just outside Abergavenny enroute to a friend's 50th birthday doo and then a meander round Pembrokeshire. Last time we were in Wales, Summer was in full flow and we had a great time exploring Anglesey, meeting up with family near Aberystwyth to celebrate a postponed Christmas, travelling along the coast up to Barmouth, into Snowdonia National Park, enjoying a quick dip in Bala Lake before heading home to Hull.
That was in July. A month earlier I'd gone on a very long walk with Gav as my van-wingman. From Liverpool Cathedral to Hull Minster following the Trans Pennine Trail for most of it. A mid life celebration!! For no other reason than just wanting to walk. A beautiful, tiring, energising, reflective, irrepressibly joyful time as it turned out.
Fast forward to July again and into August - a combination of flopping out/enjoying the weather, spending time with friends, pondering on the things I'd written during the walk, making new curtains for the van, having a giddy time at Greenbelt and then spending some unexpected time in the Cotswolds with a friend.
There's been a lot to see anyway and I've compiled the best of mine and Gav's pics in the PHOTOS section. A whistle-stop visual tour of the past few months.
A couple of years ago I read a book called "Wintering" which was all about nestling into the darker, slower, colder winter months:
"Wintering is a poignant and comforting meditation on the fallow periods of life, times when we must retreat to care for and repair ourselves. Katherine May thoughtfully shows us how to come through these times with the wisdom of knowing that, like the seasons, our winters and summers are the ebb and flow of life."
Now that we're heading towards winter, I already feel glad to be inside, snugged up in the van. Looking forward to a time of retreat and pulling back. The ebb to the flow of recent months. The time of Summering which I've loved! So much so I've not got round to writing this. Which at times has felt amiss but somewhere in my knower I knew I'd get back to it. And now that I am, it feels good to be here again.
Much has happened since Greenbelt and that trip to the Cotswolds. A pivotal time as it turned out. But I'll leave that one hanging for now. It's getting chilly and our gas ran out earlier this evening. So no hot drinks til we can change the cannisters. Time instead to get the duvets out and cosy up. Thankfully the rain's stopped so hoping for a peaceful night. And some beautiful Autumnal views in the morrow. And a gas-seller not too far away.
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