Hubby and I have been awake since 3am, finally giving up trying to go back to sleep at 4 and getting up.
We knew it was going to be a long day as our furniture was being taken into storage and the man and trailer were coming at 8am.
I am one of these people that if I know I have to be up early, my brain sets an inner alarm which sadly tends to go off 2 hours or so before it needs to.
After breakfast (cereal and room temperature milk as the fridge was defrosted 3 days ago) we took the dog out for her first walk of the day. It had just gone 5.30, and the road was lined with rabbits and their kittens as they bounced in and out of the undergrowth before the heat of the day took hold. It was going to be another hot one today.
The car park already had 2 vehicles in it, and another pulled up just as we walked through the gate. The owner had 2 black labradors which I thought I recognized, but we didn’t know her so perhaps we know her partner if he walks the dogs later in the day.
We kept to a favourite route, turning left and then right to pass Humphrey’s Stump, and then down to the Des Res.
As we were approaching the rhododendron bush that we had ‘borrowed’ a cutting from a couple of years ago, Hubby gently caught my arm as a muntjac deer passed about 200 yards in front of us.
Not much bigger than a dog, it was in no hurry as it ambled across the path. It was followed by another, which stopped part way across and looked in our direction. Even though the dog was with us, it wasn’t worried and casually continued on its way to join its mate. When we got level to the spot where we had seen them, one was nibbling at the lower tree branches a short distance away.
It was lovely to see them this morning, and we felt privileged to share the peace and tranquility of their world before returning to face the hectic bustle of ours.