My friend asked me yesterday if I still experience the same enjoyment of where we live or if, after waking up here each day for nearly two years, the excitement has worn off a little.

I thought about it a lot as I did my morning chores along with the sunrise, marvelling as each new turn brought a fresh view of golden autumn morning.  Following Winnie on her early constitutional I was afforded such beautiful moments, glimpses of perfection that my heart was lifted and fit to bursting.

There is something so special about this first hour of the day, this beginning time when anything is possible.  Living here, with the sky stretched out above me and the fields rolling away into the golden glow, it is easy to forget the troubles of the world and even those I carry around with me; a heavy bag that slips from my shoulders as I marvel at the simple sights of natural beauty that shift with each step.

As our walk comes to a close I laugh at Winnie emerging from her morning ‘bath’ in the pond, the steam rising around making it look like an expensive spa.  I walk slowly along, in no rush for this time to end, enjoying the crisp air, the sunshine peeking through the hedge tinting everything with a bronze glow.  I breathe the air and watch the last few stars in the sky wink out, over taken by the stretching sun of a beginning day.

So in answer to my lovely friend’s question, do I love it as much as I ever did?  Of course the answer is yes, every day and more tomorrow.  And that is a good thought to start the day on.