Spa Day

I left the house at six am this morning with Sheba to walk in the forest before it got hot.

The breeze was warm on my skin; the rising sun shone deep orange beams of light through the trees. The roosters up the street filled the morning air with their crowing. I had the world to myself. There weren’t even any insects bothering me.

We walked for an hour and then I came home to enjoy the spa in the quiet of late dawn and I reveled in the change in routine. I watered all the gardens late last night so as not to have to do it this morning. It’s such a treat to not have to start the day with the hose.

Yesterday’s morning sucked in comparison.

I had to take the car in and I had a pretty bad and long-lasting seizure right after I dropped it off. Poor Jay, who came to pick me up and drive me home, found me unable to respond to him at all. I was a wreck and crying because I was so viciously entrapped. I couldn’t stop it. But once I could hold his hand, things started to improve.

I learn but I can’t win. I’m powerless against my broken brain. However: I’m happy as stink most of the time. I love being at home with my pets and my spa, gardens and studio and I love  this island. I focus on the positive.

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For months I’ve been trying to identify a bird so this morning it suddenly dawned on me to use Google. I searched: “bird”+”Pacific Northwest”+”white stripe on head” and voila—I now know I am flush with White-Crowned Sparrows.

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Thursday I ignored the palace again. I raked the entire backyard (which is huge) and dumped all the detritus behind my back fence and I’ve been replacing plants that died, moving plants to sunnier locations, planting new shade plants and sweeping the courtyard. The place is looking fine!

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“Brian” comes today. He’s the spa technician coming to fix my thermostat, test my spa water and make recommendations on maintenance. And I get back to the cat palace today after two days off. I’ve got to get it finished. All the prizes are getting picked up next Thursday. 

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I like British procedural dramas on Netflix and last night I decided to begin watching a season of Line of Duty.  I was giddy; the cast list was full of favourites including Keeley Hawes with whom I am totally smitten after seeing her play Louisa Durrell in The Durrells in Corfu. In this show she plays a stoic and hard cop—a role that’s the polar opposite to Louisa and it’s thrilling to see her range. 

And! Jessica Raine plays a sexy, smart and tough cop who dies pretty early on in the series, but what a treat to see the actor who so wonderfully portrayed the young Jenny Lee, the central charater in the early episodes of Call the Midwife.