To insanity and beyond ...: .... this is NoT what the weatherman forecast ....

Two gorgeous and magnificent days in a row .... we are blessed .... this is not what the weatherman forecast but I forgive him .... I don’t mind that he was wrong!!

The warmth of the sun ... the blueness of the sky .... the crashing of the waves ... the scent of the grass, newly mown .... the wetness as the waves swamp my shoes ...... all bombard my senses and make me so aware I’m alive! Yes, I have wet feet .... and socks ... .and shoes ... but I don’t care ..... I just love the sensation of being in that moment!

Days like today are a real treat .... there’s perfection in them. A slight breeze stirs the air but it’s not enough to disturb the

warmth of the day or blow your hat off! There are no brightly coloured kites swirling and racing above the waves in the bay ... no wind for that .... even the yachts are noticeable by their absence. It’s a calm and tranquil ocean ... only disturbed by the ebb and flow of the waves as they race to shore .... so very very beautiful!

I know it’ll be short-lived but that’s why I

want to drink in the beauty of it. The weather changes so abruptly sometimes .... what starts as a glorious morning can turn into a tempestuous afternoon with heavy clouds and threatening rain. Don’t get me wrong .... I see as much beauty in the storms as I do in these beautiful sun-drenched days ... but just for today, I’m going to enjoy every moment of the sunshine!

As is becoming the norm on a Friday,

we were joined by Julia and the ‘inquisitive’ Indy on our ramble this morning. If ever a dog lived up to it’s name, this one does .... Indy is his name, exploration is his game! If there’s something to be found ... and possibly eaten ..... Indy will find it! My hound ... as is her wont ..... chases balls and logs in and out of the waves and occasionally Indy will join

Indy's pinched her ball

her .... but his favourite past-time is identifying all the scents on the beach and surrounding areas. I’d love to know what all the scents tell him .... he could probably identify which hound has been where ... who’s eaten what on which part of the beach .... how many different hounds have been on Ladies Bay .... how many fish the fishermen have caught! Indy’s nose provides him with a glut of information which we humans are totally oblivious to. There are some scents we pick up ..... fishy scents sometimes .... the scent of a wet hound ..... but our sense of smell is nowhere near as well developed as a hound’s ...... that’s maybe not such a bad thing after all!

I did feel a twinge of guilt this morning for being able to bask in the sunshine. Denise, sans Abi, stopped to say hi on

her way to work .... she looked gorgeous .... but was very envious of our quite obvious enjoyment of the sunshine and the waves. Poor Abi .... she was at home .. unable to participate in the fun on such a marvellous day.

Life is tricky sometimes .... things don’t always work out as we want them too .... difficulties come and go ....

often when you’re in a bad space you think it’s never going to end. More and more though, I’m realising that regardless of the situation I find myself in, there is always something positive to smile about .... in the day ..... in the moment .... in the situation. There’s a catch though .... you have to be prepared to ‘see’ it!!

I LOVE .... yes, with capital letters .... LOVE .... inspirational quotations and sayings. They uplift me even when I’m down .... they give me hope when I think there’s none .... .and they make me realise that nothing .... no, NOTHING ..... is ever as bad as it seems!

from Positive Outlooks “I am too POSITIVE to be doubtful, too OPTIMISTIC to be fearful and way too DETERMINED to ever be defeated!”