Running, rewilding and voting.

Running yesterday, before the rain set in, I saw a thrush, who confidently didn't seem to be in any hurry to fly away as I approached. This was the first I've seen in a long time. Blackbirds galore are seen and heard around our way but thrushes are a lot less common. Then today I read George Monbiot, waxing very enthusiastic about seeing otters and Eagles in Scotland. His enthusiasm, and his frequent indignation, is always quite inspiring. 

Here's a link to Simon Worrall of National Geographic talking to Mr Monbiot about this and that. I really love his ideas about rewilding, not just reintroducing species into areas where they used to be but also the idea of "rewilding our own lives", in other words, recapturing our sense of wonder at the natural world. 

However, while I appreciate his arguments about why we shouldn't fly, I might have to point out to him that most people don't have the leisure to travel to distant places by other, slower means of transport. I think flying is here to stay and we just need to work on making it as green as possible. 

Anyway, today has been a much more satisfactory day than yesterday. It still is not really possible to say that warm weather has arrived but yesterday's rain has abated, for the moment at any rate. And so we walked to Uppermill where Phil had a doctor's appointment and had a late breakfast at the cafe where our granddaughter occasionally works. She was not there but maybe that's just as well. She might have been embarrassed. On the awning outside the cafe it tells you in several languages that you can get coffee and cakes or coffee and food. The Spanish version says "café e comida". Unless this is not in fact Spanish but some other language, they seem to have an error in there; surely it should be "café y comida". I have often been tempted to pop in and tell them but as this is one of a chain of cafes I doubt if it would make any difference. I would probably just be noted as the local cranky pedant. 

After that, we walked into nearby Greenfield were Phil had his hair cut. Feeling slightly lightheaded after that, he opted for a bus home, via our own village polling station to put our X on the voting papers. Many of my Facebook friends have been fiercely reminding anyone who cares to look at their posts that it is our duty to vote, that people campaigned long and hard, went to prison, suffered and even died for us to have that right. Quite so! 

Tomorrow we shall see what kind of results we have. And how long it takes for them to sort it all out.