I was working on pastoral stuff until late last night, and realised I hadn't completed my daily 10k so at 11.30pm, so I went outdoors and walked around in darkness The sky was clear and starlit. Only after a while did I see the crescent moon on its descent towards the horizon, and Venus twinkling brightly on the edge of the skyline before it disappearing.
It was a wonderful refreshing pre-sleep treat, except that it stimulated me to draft a poem before settling down for the night, so it was one o'clock before the lights went out, and half past eight when I woke up to warmth and Spring sunshine. Rosie messaged me to say that migrating bee-eaters have arrived and to keep a lookout for them around the arroyo next to the house.
It was a wonderful refreshing pre-sleep treat, except that it stimulated me to draft a poem before settling down for the night, so it was one o'clock before the lights went out, and half past eight when I woke up to warmth and Spring sunshine. Rosie messaged me to say that migrating bee-eaters have arrived and to keep a lookout for them around the arroyo next to the house.
I should have been flying home today. Twenty four days to go, and that means three more Sundays and Bible Studies on-line to prepare, unless church meeting restrictions are lifted, which might just happen for the 17th, though I have my doubts given the perpetual uncertainties surrounding the plan to get economies moving again across Europe and elsewhere.
I had a look at the readings for next Sunday and immediately had a ideas for a sermon. Rather than waste the thoughts I got busy, and had a draft ready by lunchtime. Early in the week for me. Later I made a start on another batch of marmalade, mostly lemon, but with couple of oranges for variety as well. It's all experimental, and fun to see how it turns out. I made four full jars, tasting nice and bitter, the way I most enjoy it.
While I was out walking this evening a flock of about thirty small birds flew into the pine trees in the field opposite, grey undersides, with wings unlike those of swifts or swallows, but more fan like, able to swoop and glide on air currents. I didn't get a good closeup view, but I am intrigued as to what they could be. Then, as the sun set swifts and swallows did arrive, hunting insects displaying their aerobatic skills against a backdrop of orange tinted clouds - enchanting.
Rose emailed me to ask the dimensions of my case for the baggage hold on the return trip. I couldn't find a tape measure, so I had to use a sheet of A4 as a measuring guide, but had to google the actual size of a sheet as it's not the sort of factoid my memory can be bothered to retain. Perhaps I should measure the dimensions of all our cases and write them somewhere on their insides for reference.
When I get home to two weeks quarantine I'll be confined to the house, Clare and I working out ways to avoid each other while living together. How I get my 10k a day routine walk done I have no idea. The garden is small and the back lane hardly fifty metres. I can see myself sneaking off to the park in the dead of night, once the street light go out to avoid enforcers if there are any. There ought be a common sense solution, I'm not convinced there things are thought through in consultation with sensible end users, equally concerned for the common good.
A lovely ending to the day with a transeuropean transatlantic family chat on Zoom, and then a look at the clear night sky with a warmer night breeze than we've had over the past two months. Let's hope there's more to come in my remaining weeks here.
While I was out walking this evening a flock of about thirty small birds flew into the pine trees in the field opposite, grey undersides, with wings unlike those of swifts or swallows, but more fan like, able to swoop and glide on air currents. I didn't get a good closeup view, but I am intrigued as to what they could be. Then, as the sun set swifts and swallows did arrive, hunting insects displaying their aerobatic skills against a backdrop of orange tinted clouds - enchanting.
Rose emailed me to ask the dimensions of my case for the baggage hold on the return trip. I couldn't find a tape measure, so I had to use a sheet of A4 as a measuring guide, but had to google the actual size of a sheet as it's not the sort of factoid my memory can be bothered to retain. Perhaps I should measure the dimensions of all our cases and write them somewhere on their insides for reference.
When I get home to two weeks quarantine I'll be confined to the house, Clare and I working out ways to avoid each other while living together. How I get my 10k a day routine walk done I have no idea. The garden is small and the back lane hardly fifty metres. I can see myself sneaking off to the park in the dead of night, once the street light go out to avoid enforcers if there are any. There ought be a common sense solution, I'm not convinced there things are thought through in consultation with sensible end users, equally concerned for the common good.
A lovely ending to the day with a transeuropean transatlantic family chat on Zoom, and then a look at the clear night sky with a warmer night breeze than we've had over the past two months. Let's hope there's more to come in my remaining weeks here.
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