Stroll

Ah, sun again; the rain has been non-stop for three days. Red chestnut glows against the blue sky. A single swan, wings whistling, flies low overhead as I made my way to the river.

I stand aside on the narrow path to let a stocky young woman power-walker in a brown sweatshirt and her cocker spaniel overtake me.  These days I'm slow.  I walk, I stroll, I meander.  I no longer stride out and I certainly don't power-walk.  In typical British fashion we smile vaguely, slightly embarrassed, and avoid direct eye contact. 

Today's goal is the large white stone to the side of the path.  Done. Not far now to the gate that leads into the field.   Thus is progress is measured.  As I turn back, two canoeists can be glimpsed through the trees, their voices surprisingly loud across the water.  They don't see me.  The river, brown, fast and swollen carries them swiftly on.

On the way home, foxgloves in my favourite garden.

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The face pain is turning from a sharp nerve pain into a nasty, throbbing, torn ligament-type ache.  Intermittent thankfully. And here I must put in a plug for the  Do-It-Yourself-Joint-Pain-Relief.com website.    I've been following instructions for jaw, neck and upper back pain.   The techniques don't cure the ligament pain of course, that would be unrealistic.  But they loosen things up in the surrounding area and sometimes turn the pain volume down and, as importantly, take away some of the feeling of helplessness.  Doing something is good therapy in itself.  (If this were an astrology blog I would mention that Mars is currently in my 1st House and moving oh so slowly!)