Monday 24 February 2014

Hello and Welcome!



As I was walking this afternoon, I met a lady with her two beautiful Labradors. We commented on whether we would ever get out of our wellies and it got me thinking...

What would we do now, in this age of torrential rainstorms, if the Duke of Wellington had not decided to have a pair of long boots created to protect his long legs? Would we still be struggling around in pattens?

Perhaps we should have a Duke of Wellington day, to commemorate his successes in battle, parliament and footwear. For indeed, he has given us mighty service. We could name the day - which must be in the middle of November, when the fields of the United Kingdom are generally awash with mud - Welly Day!




Cease rambling, Heather! Anyway, on my walk, I noticed various sensory details:

  • The echo of a dog barking in deep woodland
  • The swish of my coat sleeve against my side
  • The sky was a sea of dapple-grey cotton wool
  • A bank of timber stored in a barn
  • The whistling of a workman
  • The dank smell of a waterlogged ditch
  • A whisper of wood smoke
  • The sweet tang of spring on my lips from the soft south-westerly breeze
  • Mint on my tongue from the boiled sweet I sucked
  • The rough feel of the wooden stile
  • The unyielding nature of the tarmac road after the softened turf of the footpath

Set a kitchen timer for ten minutes. Take any or all of these, add a name, a place or a time of year and a colour, then see where it takes you. Don't censor or worry about spelling. Allow the ideas to flow.

Good luck!