On the way home after a meeting at the seaside the other day (and I really do question my decision to take on a couple of big pieces of consultancy work which are proving to be very restricting), I spotted these chaps (what is it about donkeys that always makes me want to cry?) relaxing after their summer of giving children rides along the beach.
Seeing them reminded me of my early days as a trainee social worker when the then purveyor of the donkey rides used to farm his donkeys out during the winter months to anyone who would have them. Visiting a family in a part of town with now long gone streets of two up two down terraced houses, I was greeted at the door by one of the children with "Come and see what we've got". They'd taken one of them in. Literally. The donkey was living inside the house with them all.
Close to home, I stopped again (brazenly ignoring the "Private track. Keep out." sign) to snap this view of my favourite local landmark looking hazy in this most unseasonal weather.
Whilst I was out doing my consultancy thing, the mister had been busy adding glass panels to a little garden project. Remember this "before" picture of the bottom of the garden, when the old fencing was being taken down?
Here's what that corner looks like now.
The grassed area has been re-turfed, the wee summerhouse is in place and just needs some final tweaking (and a table and chairs for inside), and the shrubs and trees are recovering from some, it has to be said, brutal hacking. Oh yes, and the adirondack chair has finally been painted and given its first airing. After languishing in the garage for three years.
Progress, methinks.
At long last.