Four years ago I was invited to a Christmas Day picnic in Gloucestershire in deep snow and sub zero temperatures. The reason for that invite was my Christmas plans had unravelled due to the snow and finding myself no longer heading to Kent, I was on my own in a house I'd moved into 4 days earlier so my friends who often have a Christmas Day picnic kindly invited me to join them. Move on 4 years and the weather could have not been of a greater contrast. Christmas Day emerged into 6 degrees, unbroken sunshine and still calm. The picnic invite was planned this year and after a blizzard of texts, the Badminton Deer Park was chosen as picnic venue of choice. An inspired choice.
So here we are mid feast. I'm missing from this photograph but the shadow on the log proves my presence. I do like Christmas in whatever guise it takes, at home with my parents, with Julie, or like yesterday going for a walk and a feed with friends. I've only ever been to Badminton Park during the Horse Trials and so it was wonderful to walk about in relative isolation, just a few other people about taking in the Christmas air. After feeding on festive nibbles we took it in turns to throw-ball for the two dogs with us, seagull, in the picture and Fizz, before having a longer walk around the Deer Park. By 3pm it was getting cold and the sun was beginning to set bring closure to a most wonderful way to celebrate Christmas Day, before home to a Christmas meal and fizzy wine.
No comments:
Post a Comment