Migrants and Salmon

This Saturday dawned like most Saturday mornings, happy to start the weekend and no pressure to be up early. That was my outlook when I woke but then Susan woke and announced that we should be getting up to go for our walk and swim at Sandbanks. Needing coffee, I stumbled down to the kitchen and started the launch sequence for the De'Longhi to dispense my much-needed coffee. As this took some time, I brushed my teeth and boiled the kettle for Susan’s red bush tea. Finally, I was given the green light from De'Longhi and selected a long coffee.

Coffee in hand I wandered out into the garden for my morning fix, tobacco from my trusty old pipe, slightly cloudy and a mild breeze, this weather and the satisfaction of coffee and nicotine, boosted my enthusiasm for a walk and swim. Jenson, knowing my morning habits bearly lifted his head as I walked out, knowing his turn would come soon enough, he was asleep by the time I unlocked the door.

We were hoping for some company this morning and true to his promise, Michael did swim and seemed to enjoy it. The water was coolish but worth it.

Rushing back home to change, we were off to a new coffee shop, come breakfast cafe, to try. THE COWSHED, THE COURTYARD CENTRE, HUNTICK RD, LYTCHETT MINSTER.

I think we have found a winner, problem is that the peasants have found it before us. We sat outside until a table was ready and then enjoyed a very well-cooked breakfast. Coffee is within my boundaries of drinkable and their prices are within our budget.

Autumn and our garden, messy and untidy. The hanging baskets are nearing their life span and those vibrant colours of summer flowers are all but gone. There is the odd exception, our rose has deeply scented flowers and the passion fruit rewards us with plenty of flowers, hidden in the foliage.

This has the echos of despair, but far from it, autumn is a wonderful time of the year when the trees come into their own. Autumn leaves blanket the grass and the range of colours almost eclipses the flowers of summer. Driving out to see a friend of mine who lives out in the countryside on Thursday, was a pleasure, the autumn colours of all those old trees, illuminated by the low sunlight, burst into life with every corner I took. A final flood of colours will last a while, burned in my mind at the last, and then winter lights will set in.

To end off I have just heard of another boat full of migrants, destined for the UK, that has sunk in the English Channel. Tragic but they do seem desperate enough to risk all in the pursuit of a better life, not sure if the UK is the place to come to at the moment. High inflation, shortage of housing, energy prices climbing daily and a banana republic-type government. The migrants remind me of salmon when they swim upriver to where they were born and many dying in the process. Life has a way of replicating events, in all of its facets. Unfortunately, you cannot stop the migrants, just as you cannot stop the salmon.