The Embryonic Non-Conformist

I continue to edge along with life, feeling a bit on the periphery of the main action and seriously considering the life of the recluse ever more beguiling. As time floats by I am realising I need very little to be happy and usefully employed. And that life for me is to be quite different as I grow more into the role of the non-conformist. The quiet inner voice is asking more ‘whys?’ It is seeing less reason to live life how I used to, as a well behaved citizen who did as she was told, staying within the white lines of ‘normal’ because that is what was expected. The quiet voice is getting used to saying, ‘No.’ The quiet voice is encouraging the dipping of the toe into the waters of doing what I bloody well want to and in my own time, following my own rules.

But not on Saturday! Before you think I’ve gone a bit sinister (I haven’t, but having re-read that first paragraph, I gave myself a bit of an edgy shiver!) - on Saturday, I was out with my new chum exploring the new venture in Market Drayton called, ‘The Walking Craft Fair.’ Only we didn’t walk it, we drove it because it was hissing down with rain. Anyway, this new social venture was born last month. Twenty four local art and crafter types decided to set up their stalls in their own front gardens (presumably because all their usual craft fair outlets have been cancelled in this current state of lunacy) in order to sell their wares. Visitors can download a map of the town, giving locations of the various stalls and then they walk around, not only perusing the lovely goods but getting in some fresh air and exercise, too. The fair is going to become a monthly thing. Yesterday, there were 41 stalls.

So Gillian (my new chum) and I set off, having highlighted the stalls we wanted to visit and planned a suitable route, and we had a jolly entertaining, if soggy, few hours, chatting to stall holders, admiring their craft skills and stopping off for lunch in my favourite town eatery which is now OPEN! And oh, how it felt so normal! We picked up a few ideas to feed our own arty crafty ventures-in-waiting, and made a few choice purchases. There is to be another fair next month; hopefully the weather will be kinder.

The swallow babies are out and about now, and then some! Sometimes they bring home another baby swallow....

...see, there are 5 of them here, and sometimes the added extra baby goes and roosts in the laundry with them. There is a noticeable gathering of swallows around the garden, around 20 yesterday afternoon. I don’t know if the individual families come together to prepare for their migration back to Africa, but it definitely feels like a gathering of the clans out there at the moment.

Here is Mummy Swallow with her four babies. They sat there quite happily whilst I rooted around in the freezer. No poop of protest was deposited upon my person.

And here are three of the babies as viewed from the landing window. I think Baby 4 was still in bed because this was quite early in the morning.

Finally, the jay family!!!

Baby Jay is on the left of the photo. Later on the same day, the parents arrived with 3 babies! However, I wasn’t quick enough to take a photo of the Jay Five and they continued to elude me over the weekend, too. Lovely to see them all, though, and entertaining to watch the babies demanding to be fed, then realising they’ve got to do it for themselves, and grappling with the bird seed just like human babies messing with their mush on a spoon.

Happy Day, everyone!