May 2022 – Out & About

Being in nature, taking some gentle exercise, slowing down and mindfully observing nature around me are important elements in my fibromyalgia management tool kit, so these posts are a way of capturing what’s going on around me and connecting me to the environment.

This month, I haven’t been able to manage any really long walks as fibro symptoms have been pretty severe. That said, it’s been great to get out, even if only for a short time, when it’s been warm and dry. At this time of year, everything grows so fast, with changes noticeable both in the garden and out in the fields and woodlands every day.

At the beginning of the month, the bluebells in the local woodland were just magical. It seemed to be a really good year for them and I spent plenty of happy time walking in and around the woods just admiring the sight and scent of these pretty flowers.

Over the past few years, we have tried to make the garden a little lower maintenance and more nature friendly by choosing perennate plants which are attractive to wildlife. So there’s plenty of nepeta, oregano, rosemary, hardy geraniums and comfrey. The comfrey in particular is always full of bees, although the Welsh onion is pretty popular too.

The birds have been in busy mode and the nature highlight of the month for me has been hearing a cuckoo whilst out walking the dogs. It’s the first time I’ve heard one for at least 10 years and from speaking to neighbours, it’s been a good few years since anyone heard one around the village. It’s been great to see the return of the swifts, house martins and swallows although, as I wrote last year, there just don’t seem to be as many of them as I recall several years ago.

The bird feeders have been a hive of activity too and I’ve “lost” hours watching the antics of Mr and Mrs Great Spotted Woodpecker, repeatedly cramming their beaks as full as possible before returning to their young and the rabble of starling chicks who have been spending ages on the feeders and pecking on the lawn. The joy I get from watching the birds is immense, especially on days when I’m not well enough to go anywhere.

I had hoped to grow more veg this summer but given the way my health has been, I made the decision not to plant anything more other than salad leaves, radishes and herbs now. I’m disappointed by this but with how I am at the moment, it’s the right choice for me as I just don’t have the energy to plant and tend to any more plants than I already have. Hopefully next summer, I’ll be in a better position to grow as much as I’d like. But even so, I’ve been enjoying what I have grown and it always feels so rewarding to eat what you can grow yourself.

And so it’s onward to June. I must admit that in many ways, I find summer hard to cope with and it’s not my favourite time of year but there is much solace to be found in observing nature as the year marches on.

Happy June everyone 🙂