I finally managed the trip to Rufford.
The car journey was only the first step, the hundred yards of varied slopes between the car park and the lake was more of a problem.
It was worth it to sit in the sun and watch a pair of Moorhens struggling to build a nest with unsuitably large twigs. (It wasn’t so much the struggle as the persistence that made the watching worthwhile).
Things are very different from our last visit, with fewer birds, more sun and a lack of seating space. Where the winter visitors (the human ones, not the birds) tend to walk round the lake it seems that the summer visitors, who are generally older than the winter ones, like to sit. It was very pleasant to sit out in the sun, and I enjoyed it after all the time I’ve spent indoors recently. My only reservation is that sitting in the sun with a group of octogenarians is a clearer vision of my future than I want.
As soon as I’m out of hospital I’m going to start doing that list of things that’s been at the back of my mind for years.
Fortunately there’s no skydiving or mountain climbing involved.
