Sunny, happy, summer days with love

Wow what an incredible few days of glorious sunshine we have been experiencing here on Guernsey, it seems that summer has finally arrived, and lucky me has been able to make the most of it!

Yes I have to admit that whilst I may have been struggling at the beginning of the week with the whole concept of working in an office, I have reflected and since realised that actually it is what you make it, and as soon as I let go of the thought that working in an office equals a loss of freedom and that whole scary soul-less existence of times long past (thankfully), I have started to appreciate the benefits of contract part-time working, which means I can walk away when the hours are done.

On Thursday I met my spirit cousin Yo, who is over from Devon for the week. We had met earlier in the week for swim in the sea, and while I was keen to take her to Petit Bot with me, she wisely suggested we go somewhere different and so we ended up at Saints Bay and what an absolute joy!

So while Petit Bot was rammed with people, and probably most of the other main beaches on Guernsey too, Saints was refreshingly quiet with only a handful of people making the most of this beautiful bay. And with the tide rising, Yo and I enjoyed a lovely swim backwards and forwards across the Bay, chatting in the process and trying to make sense of the warm and cold patches everywhere!

After a few hours,I dropped Yo off at her brother's house and carried on down to Vazon on the West coast to meet one of my lovely angel friend's, Christine, and her beautiful daughter Jasmine, for another swim. Well, I have to say I have not seen Vazon that busy for some time, it was 4.30pm by the time I got there and the tide was on its way up so people were pushed higher up the beach and onto the pebbles under the wall, so I found a spot and settled on my rug and was amazed how hot the sun still felt and by the number of people still turning up at the beach to meet family and to cool off with a swim.

Christine and I went for a lovely swim across the bay, yet more chatting in the process, before settling back on my spot under the wall to dry off with Jasmine in the warm sun. An hour later and we were still sitting there and Jasmine was inviting me to join the two of them for a spontaneous supper at Crabby Jack's over the road.



I found myself declining the invite on the basis that while E was out for the night I still needed to go home and water the garden and prepare food and catch up on emails etc, and then I caught myself...this day is never going to come again...the sun is shining, it is high tide, I am with a really good friend and her daughter, I have nowhere I need to be and nothing I really need to do and they have asked me to join them for supper at a restaurant with views over the beach. If there was ever a moment to go with the flow then this was it!!

So I went with the flow and enjoyed a lovely supper with Christine and Jasmine with lots of chatter about 2012...more about that another time...before going home and enjoying the beautifully warm, calm and peaceful energy of the garden as the sun was setting in the distance. Really, these are the best evenings.

I guess this kind of set me up for a joyful start today - Friday - knowing that it is not only the end of the working week for me, but the sun has been shining again!!

So after work - and what a jubilant day it was for everyone, it is incredible how different the energy is in the office on a Friday compared to a Monday - I dragged a hungover E to Saints Bay with me for a much needed lay on the beach and swim in the sea. Ahhh, there is nothing quite like getting down to the beach and switching off from everything.

We warmed ourselves in the sun commenting on the lack of people on the beach, which just seems so strange as it is such a beautiful bay and it used to be so popular that it even has its own kiosk and toilet, but these days I suspect people just find it too much of an effort to walk up and down the valley to access the beach - before swimming backwards and forwards across the bay. Bliss!!

Later in the afternoon I had a treatment, before moving down to my parents' house on the West coast to look after the cats while my parents are away for the weekend. I love driving down to Vazon when the sun is shining high and it is a Friday and I have the a whole evening without any commitments!!



So we decided to make the most of the wonderful combination of a Friday night, high tide and beautiful weather, by having a picnic on Vazon with E and his friend C. E and I managed another swim at high tide and I actually stayed in for 20 minutes enjoying the shore break and some body surfing, before warming myself with a cup of redbush tea and tucking into the picnic, yum!

We stayed for sunset, beautiful as ever, I just couldn't imagine wanting to be anywhere else in the world at the moment, we are just so lucky to have so much outstanding natural beauty just on our doorstep - this summer I honestly feel like I am discovering the joy of Guernsey for the first time, like I am seeing it through open eyes for a change...just goes to show what happens when we do open our eyes and go with the flow of things...

Happy swimming!!