under another sun

Breakfast at the Rhinefield hotel, Maureen slipping Jerry some cash very discreetly. A nice breakfast, then packing. Pat and I left to our own devices for an hour and a half while Maureen had her nails done and had a facial massage. Pat kept asking me where they'd gone shopping. We were looking out of the windows of the bar area at the pond and fountains and sipping tea. Then we all slowly loaded into the car, under the big tree with what I think was a raven making some gruff noises at the top. A drive through the forest then Eastwards back to Seaford. Stopped at a Marks and Sparks at the Holmbush Centre, then rapidly to Pat and Maureen's place, before getting home. Happy to be there. I cooked some pasta then Lorraine went off to Eastbourne to start a course in pottery. Having been cooped up all day, I went for a long walk mooching about on the seafront, looking at the lovely colours that hung about in the sky after sunset. There is a procession of planets at the moment, but th...

Feeling brighter today. Up and looking forward to a large breakfast. A much nicer day, and we decided to take a walk in the trees in the hotel grounds. Lorraine had borrowed a wheelchair, which Maureen used, and the four of us toddled about, getting stuck in mud and so on, but having a good time. Maureen and Pat enjoying being in the woods, and hearing a gronk-ing sound made by a large raven on the top of a very tall tree. Pat mentioning being Patrick Woods as we walked into them. Back into the bar, to share a sandwich.  I went for a longer walk in the forest and the hotel grounds this afternoon. Pretty squelchy underfoot in places but beautiful to be surrounded by trees. You can sense the desire to Spring into new growth all around you. Then a bit of looking at Gordon Road, before a bit of quiet time. We opted to go to the restaurant tonight. I had an absolutely delicious pear tart with white chocolate ice cream and sorrel and stem ginger. Really complex and yummy. Jerry our waite...

Woke up in the Rhinefield House Hotel. Breakfast, with us trundling variously to the other side of the hotel. Incredibly polite and friendly staff. I was feeling a bit out of sorts first thing, with a slight temperature but perked up. After breakfast we went for a toddle around the grounds, letting ourselves in at the back through a side door at the back. Maureen enjoying this despite having to clamber up stairs and so on. Some beautiful rooms here.  We sat in the bar area drinking tea after this, and while the others read a bit or knitted, I managed to do some good work on Gordon Road. After a very light lunch, I went for a short walk into the forest. At one point a shaft of sunlight, it was mostly cloudy, fell on a mossy tree. It was the greenest thing in the forest and blazed out. It was as if I had watched the invention of green. I squelched across to the tree, but of course the light was never the same. Beautiful though.  In the afternoon Lorraine and Maureen attempted to...