Sometimes I do wish that the emotional tone of life could even out a little. At the present time it appears to be all over the place, although that is probably a normal part of the human condition.
I’m really very pleased with my “Green Man” series, which I now regard as completed. (When I have had the chance to get it photographed I’ll put up some images on this website.) This morning I received a very warm comment on email about my current exhibition. Then I’ve been asked to take part in an Advent project in the village, whereby various windows will be the location of a kind of community “Advent Calendar”. Already an idea is starting to form in my mind, which is quite exciting.
Above all, I managed to get out today for a good walk in the countryside. I decided to take a walk in Crag Vale …. a steep, wooded valley between Halifax and Hebden Bridge. It has been really refreshing to have a good stretching walk. Of course, I should mention the best news of all, that my good friend Simon sorted out our printer problem this morning, restoring a sense of control and normality. As Dave Gorman reminds us, “Modern life is goodish!”
Then there is the other side of things. The walk was bitter-sweet in some respects. About twenty years ago I climbed quite a bit in that valley. The woodland vegetation has taken over large areas of the hillside now, and the extent of its growth was a reminder of just how much time has passed, and how much older I am now. I was very inefficient getting ready for the walk, which underlined the extent to which I have lost touch with hill walking …. a fact made clear by my rather hesitant map-reading.
Most of all, over the whole day has hung the shadow of the fact that we believe that a friend and neighbour is probably dying.