Midsummer

(Spoken by Nimue, Scrawled by James)

Back in the winter, I finally learned why today is called midsummer. I’ve been excited about this for ages. It turns out that the Saxons only had two seasons – winter and summer, at which point today being midsummer actually makes sense!

At this time of year, blackbird song at sunset is particularly rich and audible. I feel that the blackbirds are probably singing some kind of lyrical hymn to the beauty of the day and the wonder of existence. I’m blessed with a lot of blackbird neighbours. I’m also blessed with a jackdaw roost. They tend to come in around sunset and are a noisy lively bunch. While I think the blackbirds are probably sharing something poetic, my feeling is that the jackdaws are probably sharing terrible puns and “your mum” jokes, then laughing uproariously at each other.

One of the things I’ve always loved doing in the summer is walking at twilight and after dark. There’s something very special about feeling the night on my skin. I loved encountering bats, owls, foxes and others. Obviously, this year is difficult, I really can’t see much in low light levels. However, it turns out that with a familiar smooth path, and a lot of help, I can get outside at twilight. It’s been very emotional for me, and I feel very blessed not to have lost this part of the year. I’m learning to deal better with the darkness I live in, and how to walk when I can’t see the ground. There’s a lot of trust involved.