Only a day into my glorious resolution to follow the Wildlife Trusts’ advice and do something wild every day in June, I blew it. Well, mostly. It was as if the resolution had called down work from all corners of the globe, and a self-employed writer has to go with the flow.
So I wrote apiece for an American er, soccer magazine, then a piece about virgin birth for the Daily Mail and finally a piece about the departure of Seep Blatter for The Spectator website. I felt like a debutante complaining of the inconveniences she suffered from young men falling in love with her. All of which was gratifying and remunerative – but a little short on wildness.
So Eddie and his mother Cindy went and did some wild stuff on the banks of the Chet River while I stayed at home, thumped a keyboard and looked for synonyms for corruption.
It was getting late when I finished work for the day and went out to feed the horses. And as I was doing so, I saw a darker shape against the darkening sky: a swallow sliding full-pelt down a shallow slope of air. He was heading for the stable at such breathtaking pace I thought he must crash beak-first into the back wall.
He performed a full-throttle jink around the lovely spotted head of Loki the Appaloosa, entered through the open top-door and vanished with that joyous double-note that swallows use to announce their arrival back at the nest, cramming on the airbrakes to stop on a dime and make a controlled stall onto his chosen perch. So even on a day in which I felt I had written most of War and Peace a little bit of wild intruded and lightened my load.
Wildness can do this in even the most unpromising circumstances.
Here’s Eddies account of his rather more protracted wild encounter of the day.30 days wild2
I know that frustrated desire to get out there, but at least Eddie can claim a more fulsome blog than you today!
Great when your kids pick up the same love of the wild from you isn’t it?
I think I’ve caught up now! But Eddie is having great craic out there in the wild.
Please tell Eddie I loved his wild day piece, especially the bit about Bessie going into the river mud. My chocolate Labrador, Ruby,
does just that in Bathampton meadows!
Will do!
Simon and Eddie you brighten my day!
Janey Mac! We’re having great craic out here, wish you were with us!
I thought it was the end of the world when The Times let you go – it’s not! Love reading your blog and now we get two for the price of one with Eddie as well. Thank you both!
In H is for Hawk there is a lovely line; wildness is not a panacea. The implication, I forget how directly, is that no it is not, but it goes a long way.
The wild world helps you to enjoy life better or too endure it more easily. That’s the point I think.
Eddie is a star!
We moved house 10 weeks ago – only 1.5 miles but it took 11 months.
Our previous in 1974 had corn fields within 200yds and the swallows arrived on 14th May (+/- 3 days).
When the corn became lawn, when the bus service multiplied with the cars, and the quiet went, so did the swallows – entirely.
So here we are , buses one an hour sometimes, one shop, a pub that opens four and a half days a week and no post office – but our next door neighbours can’t build an extension because they have bats, on our local road I stopped my geriatric jogging as it was jammed with sheep just sheered, and, and.. there are swallows!
“Long live the wild and the wilderness yet.”
GMH was nobbut a few miles away.
Thanks for this Simon
David
Right on, I wish you much joy of your new place.