Invigorating

According to the radio program that woke me this morning it was -6 in Oxfordshire last night, I don’t have a thermometer but I would tend to agree with their prognosis; it was indeed rather chilly. I got home early, at about 5:30 and it was already pretty cold then so I lit a fire to cook on, keep warm by and dry my sleeping bag out next to. Having spent the last few nights shivering I tried wearing a couple more layers and was relatively warm during the night. 6am came and went, I realised that I could have a lie in if I caught the 7:10 rather than the 6:45, so I had a lie in and then decided to catch the 7:20 and had an extra 10 minutes in bed. Getting up was a little emotional as it was very cold, however it was getting light. I have not got up when there has been any amount of light – other than moonlight - for I don’t know how long. Although it was cold it was bracing and a little invigorating rushing around packing soon got me warm and I set off for the bus stop, it was light enough to see, not guess, where all the obstacles were. Excellent. Breathing the fresh clean air, being able to see where I was going this was all brilliant and putting me in an excellent mood, I didn’t even mind when my foot broke through the ice and cold water came pouring in through the top of my boot. By the time I got to the bus stop it was even lighter, the frost seemed to sparkle on the trees and behind me the blue sky was flecked with reds and pinks, the sky was on fire, the sun was rising, it was light, I could see, it was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. I felt energised, invigorated, I was buzzing and there was a definite spring in my step.

It will take a while before it is light at 6:20 when I normally get up; allegedly it gets lighter 3 minutes earlier every day at the moment so in about two weeks I will be getting up in light. Not proper full on bright light but light enough to see. This is good news. I think I am going to fully appreciate spring this year; I have a feeling I’m going to be running about like a mad thing.