woods – Page 3 – Louisa Parry

It wasn’t even that cold, busy buzzing, perfectly put

1/7/2010 / louisa / 1 Comment

1. Conscious of a distance chicken announcing she’d just laid an egg, I wake up earlier than normal. Carla is nestled in my arms like a teddy bear. When I’d woken through the night, she’d been there too – a sleepy purr starting whenever I brushed her silky soft fur. (She’s with me now too, parading up and down the arm of my chair, urging me to go to bed – oh and if I could give her her supper on the way, that would be great, thanks.)

2. I’m transfixed watching a bee passing between the flowers, doing his bit for my blackberry jam making this autumn.

3. I’m pause in my conversation with John and smile. He asks me what I’m smiling at and I explain that Katherine’s just appeared on IM and said “hello Pazza the Poultry Possessor”. We like alliteration.

3BT – keeping separate, worth the work, evening walk

17/6/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. The clear oil cuts through the beetroot-stained vinegar on the plate.

2. I’m re-reading ‘I Capture The Castle’ by Dodie Smith yet again. The introduction to my edition tells me: “[Dodie] rewrote every line, under [husband] Alec’s critical supervision, hearing every line of dialogue in her head and unable to stop thinking about it even in bed. … She kept a 100,000 word notebook on the progress of the novel, recording how each character changed, and how even the minor characters, down to the [family]’s dog and cat, were kept in play.” One of my most favourite books.

3. After dinner, we go for a walk in the woods – I want to show John the new meadow I found and a balmy summer evening seems to be the perfect time to do it. We follow the faint paths to it, then through it, then away from it, stretching out into the horses fields then twisting back in the woods and home. We’re sweaty and nursing nettle stings by the time we make it home but have had a wonderful time.

3BT – found heaven, I’m not THAT lazy, surprised to love it

16/6/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. I call John when he’s on his way home. “I’ve found heaven,” I tell him. “Really?” he asks, “are you phoning from there now? How’s the mobile reception?”. In fact, I’ve found yet another new part of the woods – daily walks for over three months and we’re still finding new bits – and it’s beautiful. A small glade at the hill, out of the way and as I enter, two red butterflies dance above the waist high grass. Judging by the path and the grass, no one has been here for months – or next to no one. There is a crushed crop circle of grass to one side of the clearing – is this where the deer sleep?

2. The bus driver is incredulously when I get up to stand near the door – had I really just waited ten minutes at the start of his route to go one stop? No, I explain, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying when I was sat down. I think he likes I’ve made the effort and we chat about holidays, travelling and the internet until the bus fills up.

3. If all kids were like them, I’d become a teacher in a shot. Wednesday nights at drama are amongst my favourite times of the week.

3BT – nice weather for water birds, fab cats, ugly Google, happy hound

10/6/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. We’ve been avoiding the muddy woods and walk to Apperley Bridge instead. We watch the swans and their perfect reflections in the marina, then the ducks squabbling on the canal.

2. It’s 11th years to the day since Carla & her late brother Carbon came to live with me. Throughout the day, I sing celebration songs to Carla and miss her brother.

3. A joke becomes real and we all get headaches from looking at it for too long.

4. Lily sits at our feet while we enjoy the hearty meal. The shift manager sneaks her treats and tickles. On the way home, we stop for a park for a quick stroll at dusk and she plays with an excitable young terrier. All in all, a good evening for the dog and for us.

3BT – glare of the glade, happy Carla cat, new to the neighbourhood

5/6/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. We happen upon a sunny clearing in the middle of the wood but quickly retreat back into the leafy shade.

2. We worried how Carla – once the most scaredy of scaredy cats – would handle the move to the new house, after the death of her brother, after the arrival of Lily – but stroking her as she stretches out in the morning sun, I realise she’s possibly the happiest, most content cat I know. (She’s actually dancing over me as I type this twelve hours later – grabbing my hand from the keyboard for tickles and purring so loudly it’s drowning out the noise of the YouTube video John’s frowning over.)

3. Our next-door-but-one neighbours bring over their brand new, six week old springer spaniel puppy. With his markings, he’s a miniature version of Lily and we’re instantly smitten. We offer/beg to babysit.

3BT – combing, misty, mmm

29/5/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. While John’s out, we have a lazy day, the dog, the cats and me. I comb Lily for one cartoon, then Carla for another. Carla, despite being a third of the size of the dog, wins the fluff shedding contest. Both feel softer and smoother by the time the funnies come to an end.

2. The rain slows for the first time all day and we descend into the woods for a walk. The mist hangs in the air beneath the canopy and reflects the light, making the lower levels brighter than they should be. The beck water is higher than it has been for the last few weeks but in the pools, it’s unusually clear too. Lily runs around like a crazy thing, I dawdle behind.

3. Nothing tastes as good as leftovers.

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