A Week of Observations
The little things that often go unnoticed
Monday morning was a rather strange one. I was on the usual school run and noticed a tree beginning to loose it’s leaves. The leaves themselves browning on the edges on and off of the tree. There was no in-between, no colour change just green with brown and crisping edges.
We are still in the middle of a heatwave but the trees know what time of year it is. I wonder whether these seasonal climate induced changes will eventually confuse trees. As the sun beams down and the warmth continues to envelope them will they forget the need to shed leaves in autumn if autumn becomes more like summer?
Technically Autumn doesn’t start until September 23rd here in the UK but we certainly are not used to having such heat at the beginning of the month. Could this continue to extend each year? Will summer eventually be at the same time as Christmas and will Winter really ever again be like it was in my childhood?
It’s these small observations that go unnoticed until you add them all up. But how often do we all notice small changes? Just a thought to leave you with.
Tuesday, always a busy one for me as I normally drive my son straight to school and head off to see family for the morning.
Later that day as I sat down at home having a coffee before the school run the skies opened up and the rain came down. I wasn’t surprised. I’d been expecting it. In fact I was expecting not only rain but a storm. With last weeks heatwave a storm was going to be the only thing that cleared it. Alas, the rain came down, feeling almost monsoon like after the constant heat from the sun. You could almost imagine cars floating off down the road.
It was on and off for the rest of the day and night but at no point did a storm hit.
When I think back to weather changes I can’t think of any that happened so drastically quick or that were so intense. Sure a light shower on a warm day isn’t unusual in the UK but going from super heat to downpour. It’s been happening more and more lately. If I can notice it so can everyone else. The question is why is it being ignored?
Wednesday, the ground is wet as I pop on my wellybobs for the walk to school. Umbrella in hand even though the sky is bright. It’s going to be one of those hit or miss days when you’re not quite sure whether it will rain or if the sun will come out. In fact a quick look at the weather prediction says there is a percentage of rain every day.
However, by the afternoon the sun is out and the weather predictions have changed… sunny all week.
Thursday… after a couple of days of slightly cooler weather the heat appears to be back. I spend most of the day inside researching and trying to get a head start on my up and coming Uni work. But, as the day passes by a friend texts for a pre-school pickup walk.
We head out towards the seafront and I spot a bird of prey hovering over some bushes and long grass. It’s so still floating in the air. They are quite magnificent to watch. It’s small, a Kestral perhaps. A seagull tries its lick at attacking it but it’s too quick and is soon back to hovering in the same spot. The rest of the walk has nothing additional of merit to talk about and so the process of child collection and walk home happens for another day.
It’s warm again as Friday unfolds itself. With only a week until I’m back at Uni I once again spend the day brushing up on some geography, climate and terrain. Slowly but surely I’m working my way around the world and creating an excel spreadsheet of useful data. (At least I hope it will be useful). It’s a glorious day outside again and I can’t bare to miss all of it being cooped up indoors. So with just over an hour before I need to do the school pick-up I head out for a walk alone. There is something about walking that I find most meditative especially if I wander down and walk along the coast. The sea is calm today and the sun glistens like a million diamonds upon its surface, glittering as it moves gently. As I look out with nothing but sea on the horizon I am reminded of just how small I am and just how expansive this beautiful planet we call home is. It’s views like this that are all I need. I’m grateful for this view and for being able to admire the natural landscapes around me. They are a gift to us all, if only we opened our eyes and learned to truly appreciate them.
About the Creator
Charlotte Fay
Rambling outdoors & writing about it. Love a good adventure. Passionate about holistic wellness & the natural environment. Studying a Wildlife Ecology & Conservation Degree. I also love to write about a variety of subjects that interest me.
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