In spite of the warnings and forecasts we had nothing but sleet and rain last night and I awoke to damp streets, a misty haze in the sky and the incessant thunder of the Forth.
The wind must have got up last night however as there were several over-tipped recycling boxes as I walked Jack at 0600. My instinct is to pick up any items that have been blown out of a box, but by the time I did that to every box I saw it would take 45minutes or more to complete a 30 minute walk. So I am sorry, but it is not my job to gather fallen rubbish. I do hope that residents will recognise their discarded items -the ones that failed to make it into the recycling lorry. You can be sure the bin men will have ignored any that were not in the box – it really isn’t their job!
So imagine my surprise as I headed over the hill away from our town to be met with a white road covered in snow. There was clear evidence of an earlier driver who must have been surprised too as there were tyre marks up and down the embankment.
More snow greeted me as I drove through the valley town to work. Support staff were liberally throwing salt over the ground and there was already an air of excitable chat. Everybody has a story to tell when the weather surprises us.
We were short staffed and I had organised a trip to take our youngsters to a Disability Athletics Programme in a nearby town. Lots to do to get everyone ready – always a little more to prepare when organising events for young people with additional support needs (ASN).
A busy couple of hours before heading off but we arrived safely at our destination. We were early and and so took a few minutes to have a snack and prepare for events.
The hall had been curtained off in half and a hockey match was taking place in the farthest end. I wondered over and was delighted to see two former pupils – A+S -from the first secondary school I worked in more that six years ago. As I watched, one of the players, A looked up, looked again, smiled and waved. I couldn’t believe she would remember me after all this time. After their match I wondered over to say hello and was amazed to hear that she was 21, attending an adult ASN Resource Group and was generally very happy with life. She very proudly told me she had a boyfriend but was still friends with S who was in her hockey team.
I have been smiling ever since. I celebrated by leaving work reasonably sharply and took Jack for a walk by the restless waves and setting sun.
He is working late tonight so I am taking myself to see Joy and will then collect Him at 10pm.
Surprises and Delights – a poem
Watch me
watch you
I am over here
you see me, wave,
I see you smile.
White and blue and grey and white
the waves still tumble on
festive lights city sights
time is moving on
Opmerkingen