August …
Hi Guys
Hello August!
I hope everyone is well and enjoying life, even if the weather is in fact behaving a bit unpredictably at the moment!
August is the month of fire, which I hope will mean sunshine. In the Celtic calendar, represents Lammas and Lughnasadh, the beginning of harvest. Hence, the island has so many tractors out and about, something I perhaps wouldn’t have noticed before living here.
The fields are full of golden rolls. I definitely feel as though the expression “Let’s make hay while the sun shines” is applying not just to the farmers, but the whole nation at the moment.
The Island, I would imagine is at absolute full capacity, if not beyond! Everywhere is crazily busy.
Even some of our discreet little local hubs are totally buzzing. I would imagine this very much applies to the mainland too. I guess the main thing is that everyone is having a good time and making up for the last 18 months.
July was great and acted as a bit of a reunion month for me, catching up with so many like minded souls in various activities. I have loved being reacquainted with so many fabulous friends and when the weather allows, we have been able to do this in an alfresco capacity, which has been even better.
August too is beginning to look action packed. We will go off Island at some point, although if I am totally honest, it is just so easy to stay island based.
It is also the season, for many to hold festivals and although I am yet to go to anything Festival like, I did manage to capture some photos of the Ventnor Fringe from the outside. There has of course been Cowes Week and various other sailing Regattas too. The main Isle of Wight Festival has been moved to September.
How is your summer of 2021 going? Is your personal calendar mad busy or are you still erring on the side of caution. After my 4 month pause from social media at the beginning of the year, which was replaced with much journalling, book reading and personal development. I know, that I for one, am definitely moving at a different pace, my cyber intake is up, I do get the general feeling that we are all trying to do just as much as we can. However, during some of my living in the moment times, I have managed to capture the following:-
Today’s gratitudes are:-
It is lovely to be surrounded by so much colour and it is the season of the Agapanthus, African Lily and the greek meaning of Agapanthus is the love lily. They certainly radiate that feeling. They do make the season very special. They are actively my personal signal that the summer has arrived, along with some sun.
My other gratitude in nature or perhaps absolute awe, was spotting a collection of blackberry bushes in August. I am totally sure, I remember having blackberry and apple crumble in the winter-time when I was a child, but I guess that is one of the plus points of the rain that we have had. It does look as the birds have been enjoying them too. There is definitely a change in the seasons/weather happening!
Trips to the coast have amazingly been quite limited, and although this always sounds quite bizarre, we very rarely visit the beaches in high season, unless of course when we have visitors and then it is an absolute treat for us too. Below is a photo one early morning at Freshwater Bay with its beautiful glistening sea and a solo swimmer. The seas always have swimmers whatever the weather or season.
Below is the view from Ryde/Puckpool beaches, which I always enjoy because you can look over to Portsmouth to see the Spinnaker Tower. It also reminds me that once this little diamond of island, was once very much joined to the mainland and how incredibly close we in fact are!
Following on below there is a photo of the River Yar, which is an absolutely divine walk, as you can see.
Above all, I am grateful to be surrounded by so many kind, thoughtful friends.
This month’s blog has mainly been pictorial, I think it is definitely a case of
“a picture paints a thousand words”.
In the meantime its time “to make hay while the sun shines”.
So as always, thank you for reading my blog.
Until next time.
Stay safe and well.
Jules xx
(Images with quotes can be found in Gallery 2)
Insta:- elements of happiness IOW