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Channelling My Inner Heron

 When I wake up I always look out of the window to spot the First Bird of the Day. It’s a weird habit, I know. I like to think the habit as having meditative qualities, setting me up with a gentle, thoughtful start to the day. That’s my excuse, anyway. Usually, First Bird of the Day at this time of year is a rook, a crow, a blackbird or a swallow. Less often it will be a robin, a wren, a sparrow, a tit of some description, possibly a finch (chaff/green) or a goose. 

But this morning, a bloomin’ mahoosive grey heron hove into view! 


One of these! Not this specific one, obviously, because my pyjamas do not have a handy pocket for a phone/camera or other useful photographic device. But it was a grey heron and it glided (glid? Gload?) across the field in front of me like a stately galleon heading out to sea in a light breeze. 

Nell and I sometimes see a grey heron or two when we go for walks along the canal. They sit on the towpath, they spot your approach, they sit a bit longer (clearly thinking, oh, I suppose I’ll have to move now before the crazy ginger noblet starts barking and getting into a tizz) and then they sort of levitate up and away in a most casual, seamless, silent, trance-like drift and settle on the opposite bank where they give you a murderous side-eye as you pass by, for daring to disturb their peace. 

Well, I thought. Seeing a heron first thing in the morning is a rare event. Therefore, I looked up the symbolic meaning of herons. All good stuff : strength, elegance, patience, wisdom, self-possession, transformation, harmony, peace, and good fortune. Yes, thought I - I’ll take all of those, thank you very much. I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed of late what with one thing and another. This heron is telling me to chill out, to draw on my inner being and project an oasis of peace in a mad, mad world. 

Today is the birthday of Lord Malarkey. I gave him a printing press and drying rack for his lino cutting hobby, along with a couple of books, a Doctor Who timeline poster and a new chunky coffee mug which I am hoping will last a bit longer than the previous one, but then he is a Taurus and if he didn’t break things on a regular basis I’d think something was wrong. 

We are having a few people over for a birthday barbecue - the weather is so lovely it would be a pity to lose the opportunity for some alfresco cooking and dining. I’ve made him a birthday cake of chocolate and more chocolate with some added chocolate. And 18 candles because 53 would constitute a fire hazard.  And he is very excited because today also happens to be the start of new series of Doctor Who (rolls eyes and sighs…) and what could make a birthday more perfect than that?  Not only is it a new series, it is being kicked off with a double episode! And immediately after the double dose of Doctor Who, we have three hours of the Eurovision Song Contest where the UK entry seems to be some kind of soft porn effort by a chap called Olly Alexander.

Sheesh…


Comments

Anonymous said…
Happy birthday, Andy!!
11 May 2024 at 16:34
Denise said…
Thank you! He had a lovely day.
12 May 2024 at 09:01
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