Time is flying at the moment…. but I suppose the way to calm it down is to stay still, in one place, for more than a minute. I got down to Dorset on Thursday afternoon and was able to work at home all day on Friday. And somehow, there is a very big difference between three whole days here and two. We had few plans this weekend, but found ourselves drifting gently into alternate realities.
A beautiful sunset filled the valley skies on Thursday evening…
…and on Friday we woke to a mist slowly clearing in the already warm early air. Heavenly beautiful.
On Friday evening our neighbours Mandy and Glen threw their legendary annual party in the village. Saturday morning was horrifically bright.
But we bounced into Bridport early and bought piles of books at Bridport Old Books, which literally does rate as my favourite bookshop in the world.
That afternoon we decided to go for a trip to the beach. The sea was sparkling.
Mavis was in heaven.
Chesil Beach at this particular spot is covered in beautiful sea-cabbages.
Back at Swyre we explored the churchyard….
And peered down a lovely track at this beautiful, ancient stone farmhouse, that felt a little more like a beautiful Cornish or French building than something you’d expect to find in Dorset. I expect the interiors to be cool and grey.
We had our neighbours round for drinks in the garden, heady with the scent of lilies, and for once I didn’t pull out my camera and annoy everyone, but there was an amazing sunset after everyone had left.
Charlie was doing Church flowers this weekend.
Bonkers, but beautiful. I forgot to take a photo of the two Victoria sponge cakes and 48 scones he made for coffee in the village hall afterwards. Church numbers were somewhat swollen from their normal 5 or 6 by the arrival of a band of Boy Scouts in the village for the week, camping down on the Cricket ground.
Gratuitous shot of Henry and Percy who are getting cuter and cuter and crazier and crazier by the minute.
The air has been full of mist all day – which I almost admit I prefer to a day of blue skies and sunshine at this time of year. The garden looks so beautiful.
We went for a walk.
The scouts have arrived from Dorking in their 1957 double-decker bus, which is the way they travel around everywhere. Complete genius. It was purchased in the 70s by the then vicar of the town, who also helped with the boy scouts – and has been their mode of transport for the last 40 years. Incredible. Around the country they travel, the ground floor of the bus filled with all their equipment, the top floor of the bus filled with all the boys. Doubtless there were groaning drivers in the long queues behind the bus while it staggered its way up the steep West Dorset hills in first gear – but how completely fantastic. It’s parked up in the woods to keep the bus out of the way. 
Also – did you know that when the scouts go camping for a week they are not allowed to bring their mobile phones? Now that is something we could all get used to.
The woods were full of mist and mysteriousness.
Glimpsing down from the high ridge to the scout camp below….
The high ground was completely covered in cloud, trees looming above ripening fields of wheat and barley.
And we returned to find not only the scouts encamped, but a game of cricket from visiting cricketers in progress. I realise that the guy in the white coat appears to be streaking, but even ignoring that fact, it was a strange moment – the mist, the bus, the scouts, the cricket match – and we wondered for an instant if we had warped back to 1957 in entirety. 
I hope this is not symptomatic of England as a whole, right now, but it was fun for a just little while!
