The sun is finally shining!

Wow, what a week.  The weather has just been glorious and you can't help but appreciate it that little bit more as it has been so dreadful for most of the summer thus far.  Lucky us.

We have had more friends to stay so we have been able to truly embrace the weather in good Guernsey style and spend lots of time on the beach, Petit Bot on Saturday, Moulin Huett on Sunday, Grande Rocques on Monday and then Saints Bay yesterday.  Very spoilt.

We really are very lucky over here in Guernsey, with all these wonderful beaches on our doorstep.  Like everything in life nit is so easy to take it fore granted and very easy to stick to the same beach each time, so it was rather lovely to be encouraged to try different beaches the last few days.  For example I believe I have only ever been on Moulin Huett once in the summer my whole life time as we grew up as children on Richmond Beach on the West coast.  I was pleasantly surprised, it is a stunning beach down there on the south coast with all the rocks providing some seclusion.

Yesterday I was amazed how many other people had decided to walk down the steep hill to Saints Bay, one of my favourite South coast beaches due to its wonderful rock formations.  I figured that now the cafe is closed, people would not bother making the journey, so I was rather surprised to find it quite busy.  It was so hot and the gentle breeze was much appreciated, so too the frequent swims in the sea. Oh yes, the swimming has been a welcome relief from the heat this last week.  Proper swimming too, so cleansing and cooling.

Of course most people let their Yoga practice go when the weather turns nice.  I can understand, one has to go with the flow, make the most of the moment, but this is when having a home practise really comes into its own - one can practise in the garden at home with the sounds of nature helping to ground and center you to the moment.  Bliss.

Talking of nature.  The greenhouse has gone crazy.  So many beans and peas, yum yum.  The fruits trees are about to go mad with mirabelle plums and greengages, and there is a constant supply of Swiss chard and curly kale too.  It is a little too hot to spend too much time in the greenhouse however!

Here at home, the Astors I planted at the beginning of the summer from seed are finally shining their light into the garden.  I must get some photos to share next time, they are rather beautiful.  I was feeling rather proud of myself and commented to E that I had grown them.  He corrected me and said actually I had merely planted them.  To grow them you have to weed around them and water them regularly.  I admit I haven't been doing that, just leaving them to the fate of nature, so I guess I am rather fortunate that they have done what they are programmed to do, regardless of the conditions.

We have this little house sparrow next door who chirps me awake in the morning and keeps going all day.  He sits in the gutter of the house next door and just chirps and chirps and chirps.  I wonder how he finds the energy.  It could be a she of course.  The kestrels have now left home.  Quite a shame really as I have not had as much chance over the last month to sit and watch them and now they have gone.  Oh well hopefully the parents will return to use the next again next year.

So with the moon waxing, the sun shining and the sea high in the afternoon, we are really in paradise.  I was swimming at Saints yesterday with the moon in one direction, sun to the side and the sea high.  Bliss, bliss, bliss.  Amazing how the sun can lift our spirits.

So with that in mind off to give thanks on my mat to Surya, the provider of life who cheers us all and makes the world seem brighter.