When one is feeling unpositive (there’s no such word, but you know what I mean), one searches for something or things to enliven one’s little world. Or one does if one is me.
These last couple of days have been a delight. The sun shone and enlivened the now-usual damp and dreary scene as we drove from our village to Aberystwyth yesterday. It’s a journey we’ve done every week – often more than once – ever since we came to live in this magical land back in the mists of time. Well, 1977, actually.
But, with each change of weather and each differing time of day, I observe (while concentrating on my driving, of course) things which I seem not to have noticed before: a little house half-hidden somewhere, a stand of not-remembered trees, signs telling of Rights of Way (and making a mental note of those for future excursions).
Yesterday, then, it was a Springlike sunny day. And I – well, Rosie and I – noticed the unexpected-in-February advancement of plants, flowers and trees along the route. And the sunlit views – oh, those views!
I had to take a newly purchased, non-working vacuum-cleaner back to Argos. I explained the trouble to the chap behind the counter and he and other members of staff could not have been more cheerfully helpful. Indeed, they even smiled (tolerated?) my daft little jokes. AND I got a replacement cleaner with no trouble at all, and the chap put it together for me so that I wouldn’t make any mistakes. They all smiled me on my way as I left the shop.
Then, I took a bag of cast-offs and books across to the Sally Ann. The chap there was equally cheerful and gave me a genuine welcome. As I left, he said: “Thank you for remembering us”.
Rosie went shopping in Morrison’s, so Bess, the canine member of our Family, walked me along the path which follows the Rheidol’s river bank. The few other people-walking-dogs were there and their humans were nicely sociable as we strolled.
We nipped up to Comins Coch to take something to our elder Grand-daughter when we’d finished in Aber. The views across rolling farm fields from up there are grand, and one can see on a clear day – which it was – Cader Idris in the distance. The mountain seemed to be covered in snow.
Our home trip was just as lovely as our outward one. Springtime is just around the corner, but that season’s work has already started.
This morning, again flooded with Springlike sunshine, we had a drive out to a place we call “The Moor”. It’s an area of open upland between Swyddffynnon and Lledrod. The views, oh, the views!
And all this positivity came on the heels of some lovely news from our Grand-daughter. Three grand things are happening in her life, and the lives of her fiancé and daughter. I feel that, after all the sorrows which have afflicted them for the last couple of years, they deserve each of those grand things.
Yes, positivity sometimes has to be earned. Well, more times than not. It’s surely up to the individual as to how that positivity is earned.
Cornflake's Comments 
Thanks for sharing Keith. A very nice read indeed.
It’s not a co-incidence that I too enjoyed the long awaited sunshine of yesterday. For the 10th of February, even in temperatures closer to zero than I’d prefer, the sunshine had a welcome warmth which allowed me the good fortune to sit outside whilst relaxing drinking a cup of tea, albeit, wearing several warm layers and sheltered from the gentle breeze. It even brought a bit of colour to my forehead, such is it’s strength these days.
It occurred to me too that yesterday was exactly the same number of days since the shortest day, as it was prior to the shortest day, since I was last able to sit outside comfortably in the relatively warm sunshine. That particular lovely spell of weather brought record breaking temperatures to ‘your neck of the woods’ back on November 1st, last year. So naturally, the sun is back to its position where the gloom of winter is at last moving further away from us.
If only the clouds would do the decent thing….more often than not! Still, onwards and upwards……..
Keep sending your good thoughts and pontifications Keith 🙂
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