PENTIDDY

It's the first week of the Easter holiday so traffic is much heavier than usual and Cornwall's beaches and beauty spots can be very busy.

I craved somewhere quiet and peaceful where I could wander, quieten my mind and hopefully calm my thoughts.  This pretty lane, very close to home, felt like it would lead to just the right place.

And sure enough . . . . 

Pentiddy is privately owned, but the woodland is open to the public. It has an air of calm, enhanced by the birdsong, trees and wildflowers.

I love this gateway to the burial ground.

I didn't go in there today, though of course it is also open to the public; a grave was being quietly prepared and I felt it more respectful to walk through the woodland.

It's a 'natural' burial ground, so coffins are made of biodegradable material, bodies are not embalmed or cremated so that everything is returned to the earth in as natural a way as possible. There are no memorials or markers of any kind so that the whole site becomes a memorial. 

Halfway round, a handy place to rest awhile and enjoy the sunshine. 

 or to go exploring, with one eye on me!

Lovely blossoms - I think maybe this is a cherry tree? 

Apart from one man and his dog who were just leaving as I arrived, I saw no-one else in the hour or so that I spent in these lovely surroundings.

Mission accomplished!

Let's go home, Benji.

Battered and bruised!

Not quite sure how I managed it but I fell up the concrete steps leading to my kitchen door today.  In the process, I head-butted a heavy stone lion statue, knocking it down the steps and smashing a large pot containing tulips, bashed my shoulder into the door frame, grazed both knees and somehow gained a deep'ish cut on the bottom of my foot, underneath my big toe. (I was wearing sandals.)

All in all, quite a nasty event.  Then as I sat there, wondering on the best way to get back on my feet, there was a sudden icy shower of hailstones.  Benji, faithful dog, immediately scrambled underneath my legs to gain some shelter! By the time I had checked for blood and broken bones I was soaked and flippin' freezing, but by turning to get my feet on the lowest step and hanging on to the wooden banister, I eventually managed to pull myself upright and hobbled indoors.

Gave Benji a thorough towelling to dry his curly coat, cleaned my foot with kitchen towel and warm water, slapped some Savlon on and attached a plaster, then made a reviving cup of tea and sat down with it to recover my senses.

I think a couple of Paracetamol will be useful tonight at bedtime, so that I can be comfortable and get some sleep.

Tomorrow, I will lift the lion back on to his step and check that no damage was done. And I will re-pot the tulips. 

The rare Lesser-Spotted Bichon.

Again - two posts on one day (I've edited to add this information because no-one has noticed the Skylarks - below!)

It's a good job that Benji isn't a show dog!  Recently he started to lick at an area of fur for no particular reason and gradually that area turned brown because his saliva had stained it.  (This happens regularly when he cleans his paws after a walk, or salivates while eating food). So now my little white Bichon Frise has a very noticeable brown spot on his side. 

Even after several shampoos and two haircuts the mark is still visible.  

Oh, the questions I get asked.

Skylarks in the sunshine

Benji and I had a lovely walk in sunshine up on Bodmin Moor this afternoon.  So lovely to hear Skylarks singing above us and it reminded me that we are so lucky to have them when many parts of the country don't hear them any more.  Numbers are declining, sadly, so long may they live up on the Moor.  They are very difficult to spot as they fly so high and even more difficult to photograph!

                                                                      .. unless they land!!!!