Despite being an early bird, my radio alarm was the last thing I wanted to hear at six o’clock this morning, as I’d had a really restless nights sleep. When I’d gone to bed last night I thought I would drift off into the land of nod quite easily, even though I had been on the computer much later than intended. I do try not to be on the computer after eight thirty as I find I battle to sleep if I’m on it any later, it’s as if my mind goes into overdrive, so I really only have myself to blame!
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I climbed into bed at around eleven o’clock, did my usual trick of dozing off whilst trying to read, so I put down my book, turned off the lamp and snuggled down under the quilt. That’s when my mind woke up, it went into overdrive thinking about the things I’d done earlier in the day and about things that I had to do tomorrow. They weren’t worries that were keeping me awake, it was almost like my mind was doing checklists and it wouldn’t stop.
I got back up and made myself a mug of milky Horlicks and tried reading again, eventually I dosed off into a fitful sleep, you know one of those sleeps where you don’t feel fully asleep or fully awake, it’s like being in between the two states of mind, where your body is resting, but your mind buzzing.
At six o’clock, when my alarm rudely bought me to my full senses I was wheezing like a sixty a day smoker, my asthma was playing up, which probably contributed to my bad nights sleep. I took my inhaler and waited for it to work before making my way to the kitchen to put the kettle on for coffee. I then went to wake my son, Gregs, up.
After helping Gregs get his breakfast, I sat at the computer browsing the news and drinking my coffee, willing the caffeine to kick in, which seemed to take longer than usual.
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At seven o’clock I poked my daughter awake, then went and pulled my workout clothes on. I had planned a morning bike ride on Betty – my bike – and I really didn’t feel like I had the energy for it or that I even wanted to go, but I have been using the elliptical trainer for over a week now as I pulled a calf muscle and couldn’t face another session on the elliptical, it may exercise the body, but certainly it doesn’t stimulate the senses like being outside does.
I got Betty – my bicycle – out and checked her tyres, they were soft…A good excuse for a rest day?..Not that easy! Hubby dearest, kindly pumped them up for me. If you are wondering why I didn’t do it myself, it’s because every time I attempt to pump up bike tyres they always seem to end up totally deflated and hanging off the rims, so now Neal does it for me.
I took Catherine to school, got back and begrudgingly donned my cycling helmet and a thin cycling jacket, clipped my gym bottoms at the ankle – if I don’t they invariably get caught in the chain – roll on short wearing weather! I grabbed a bottle of water, my phone and inhaler and headed out the door, mumbling under my breath that it wouldn’t hurt to have a rest day and I could be sat getting on with the post that I had planned for today.
I got on Betty – my bicycle – and headed off down the road, the wind was chilli and the sun was hiding behind a rather large angry cloud, which did not enthuse me in the slightest.
Once I got going and was warm again, my focus changed, the sun popped its welcome head out from behind the cloud, I could hear the birds chirping and I was glad I didn’t take a rest day. There is something about being outside that I find invigorating and I always feel great afterwards. Have you run in the rain? I draw the line at thunderstorms, but running in light rain, when it’s not freezing makes me feel alive!
Heading home I had to cycle up a hill and the wind was starting to pick up, which didn’t make it easy and I could feel the onset of a wheeze, but I gritted my teeth and just got on with it.
In the ten minutes or so it took me to get to the top of the hill I had witnessed two amazing things that really lifted my mood and made me kick myself for not having the camera with me.
The road up the hill has olive groves on either side and half way up was a beautiful looking horse with her young foal. As I came round the corner the foal got a bit of a start, but Mother horse wasn’t fazed in the least as I waved at them, wishing them good day – it’s something I do with the animals I see when I am out and about – I’m sure Mother horse nodded in acknowledgment!
Not the actual horse and foal, but close enough.
photo credit: Kathleen Tyler Conklin via photopin cc
As I cycled around the next bend, a huge buzzard came whooshing through the trees and briefly landed on the road not far from me, digging it’s talons deep into it’s unlucky prey, before opening out it’s vast wings and taking off again. It is not the first time I have witnessed something like this, being up and about early I get to witness some amazing things – even bunnies bobbing in a field can lift my spirits – but it was just what I needed to see today, so that I could tell myself; ”See what you would have missed if you’d stayed at home?”
Not the actual buzzard I saw and even if I did
have my camera with me, it would have been
highly unlikely that I would have got a picture!
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I am now sat here, tapping busily away at the keyboard, writing a completely different post than the one I had originally planned in my head and feeling a whole lot better than I did when I first woke up. I feel good that I went for my bike ride. I feel good because it’s when I see amazing and beautiful things that I realize that life is good and that I am lucky to be able to go out and witness amazing things, as I know there are many people who would love to, but really can’t.
What things lift your spirits? Have you a story to share?
Copyright © 2014 Debbie Roberts
© 2014 – 2020, Debbie. All rights reserved.
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