Simply a Moment - August

Blackberries

Thursday -  August 15th - 9.50am

There is a feel of Autumn in the air as I head down the path to the beach - and the earth holds "the scent of water" after last night's rain though now the sky is blue and the sun is warm on my face. Already the leaves are turning on the sycamores and everywhere underfoot my feet crunch on "helicopters" as my son used to call the seed heads from this tree. The path is steepens down the cliff here - even though it is made in steps I am very much aware that I need to watch my footing  - realising I am still "twitchy" going down steps (after a fall down stairs some 20 years ago resulted in a very nasty broken bone!) -  it is very wet after the rain and the fallen leaves are damp and slippery. The path turns sharply and seems to disappear  - though I know a sharp turn left will take me to ever steeper steps - now on a very peculiar angle - subsidence? or just the hands of time? I always wonder as I make my way carefully down them.

I am greeted by a fresh breeze as I step onto the pebbles of the beach at the bottom, blowing my hair away from my face with more strength than I expected -  I am fond of this pebble beach on my door step - my home is named for this small cove and often I am the only person on it - as I am at this moment today. I make my way carefully across the pebbles - - Mother Nature ensures there is life everywhere - even on a salty seashore  - bindweed,  nettles, wild mustard, dock (witches fingers I always called it), ox eye daisy, and tangled brambles all scramble through the pebbles.
I catch the aroma of freshly washed seaweed here on this shore as I seek my first blackberries of the season, and the hush, hush, hush of the waves rolling the pebbles on the tide line - its timeless rhythm brings its own tranquility, disturbed only by the soft scream of the whistle of the first steam train of the day from the village station. I smile at the thought of the small steam engine setting off on its' frst commute of the day. The sun is warm on my back - my fingers stained purple with the blackberry juice as I add them to my pyrex bowl - just enough for a crumble will do nicely I think  - - - - -

a yapping dog disturbs my peace - - - - a small family has joined me on the beach and are at the tide line with 2 dogs, a black labrador? gambolling in and out of the waves on the shore - the other a small yappy terrier - - - I look at my bowl's contents - - standing up straight - I realise I have been longer than I thought so pick my way carefully across the pebbles to climb the steep path home - - -

Just around the middle of the month - Alexa at Trimming the Sails pauses to take stock - just for a moment - to look, listen and be aware of the moment -  then record it -  and invites us all to join her and record our own moments - this is my August moment - and if you follow this link you will find many more magical moments - - and perhaps you too have one to share??

Thanks for dropping in
'til later

Bannaghtyn, J x