Where did all the time go.

I spent couple of days last week listening to the patter of tiny feet – as opposed to the thunder of tiny hands and knees.

Gorgeous Babe has a gait somewhat reminiscent of a small Frankenstein (from the black and white films).  It’s purposeful and involves a lot of lurching and sudden (but well controlled) descents and wobbles but she’s definitely a toddler now.  Rather to my surprise, even in the tight confines of the flat, she still finds lots to do and really doesn’t need such close supervision – on one afternoon I read my kindle (the new Neal Stephenson) while she emptied boxes of bricks and bags of balls and then pottered about, cleaning things with a baby-wipe and studying books (Maisy’s bedtime, Ispy animals, Mr Stickman and suchlike).  Which was good as she doesn’t really want an afternoon sleep any more.  She’s not so keen on replacing forty balls in their bag as she is on replacing six bricks in their, er, thingie, so when I got bored I collected balls for her to disperse again.  Occasionally she would lurch past me trailing a blanket and a handful of assorted food, book or toy and give me a swift knowing grin.  Now and then we paused in our activities for lengthy conversations during which my understanding and her vocabulary were limited but which we both found satisfying and entertaining.

And we went to the library and the park and she pattered around the library, hauling small chairs with her and practiced her unusual technique for arranging herself at a low table with book and (approximately) on chair.  At the park we did fast staggering (hand held – I think so much open space is a bit daunting), slow swinging and climbing up the slide the wrong way.  All good stuff.

The new Neal Stephenson.  Hmm.  I always become completely immersed in his books and enjoy them a lot but I must say, this one read rather like watching a computer game live.  At first, the fact that a computer game was part of the plot distracted attention from that but the enormous amount of carefully calculated gun play with detailed descriptions of guns and non-magical artefacts and players characters’ abilities eventually tipped me off.  Although the characters were, as usual, well realised and interesting they were essentially well realised and interesting pawns in the game.  Shades of Robert Heinlen too.  Still, it was a good read.  I’ve never played online computer games (having neither the reflexes nor the necessary dedication) but it was quite interesting reading one!

It’s been a bit hectic since then.  Our friend died soon after the New Year and we’ve been somewhat involved in helping to organise the funeral details and meanwhile the weather has been wonderfully sunny and frosty.  So I’ve been out astonishingly early with the camera and up quite late with the computer.

Frilsham Lime Quarry

Frosty Sunrise

Hampstead Marshall Park

I’ve discovered a huge park with a big pond in the middle and a local lime quarry, both of which may provide interesting camera outings.  I rather wish the quarry had a pond too but I suppose you can’t have everything.  Not in one place anyway.  Ponds, churches and woods are always worth a visit with the camera and while churches can usually be found easily enough, by the pointy bits, ponds are generally less obvious.  When looking at the google map of the place where we used to live, just the other side of town, I was astonished at the number of ponds there which I had no idea existed at all.  So, though this morning I was too knackered and behind with everything to go out at dawn, I might just tag a pond search onto the end of the shopping at around sunset.