We had to scoot back here (Sandhurst) this afternoon, for reasons yet to be revealed so when I woke this morning to a beautiful blue sky with perfect cotton wool clouds, I knew in my heart that I needed to be outside on the hillside getting some fresh air and decent exercise, instead of breathing paint fumes and getting coated in paint.

Strangely we barely knew of the existence of our little moor top village a year ago – we’d seen the house and loved its view but the rest of the area was totally unknown to us. We really had almost no idea of what we were buying. We’d only just begun to learn of the history of the area. Yet now it beguiles and charms us endlessly, with its constantly changing face.

After a quick breakfast we packed up a rucksack and got the dogs their ‘hats and coats’ (leads to the rest of us) and went walking. It was way up there with the best walk we’ve done since being there. The morning sunshine on the moors was gorgeous. We realised we usually walk in the afternoon so hadn’t ever seen the moors in the early morning light. Becky, Iain and Fin, their little boy, joined us as far as the bridle path then we headed out onto the moor and they went off down the path.

The new growth of the bracken is starting to pop up, with its tightly curled leaves, the gorse is still in full flower and the foxgloves are charging skywards at a rapid pace. There are tiny lambs everywhere, swifts circle overhead after their return from warmer winter climes. Our lanes are bursting with so many wild flowers that they are a complete joy to look at.

Our chosen path was up to the old quarry, which is now a clear pool of fresh water. Today it was glinting from the sun and the water was the most spectacular turquoise. We pottered about a bit then as we descended to our cottage, my gloominess settled back onto my shoulders.

This pic perfectly encapsulates how I feel today about going ‘home’ – as if I’ve been chained under water and left to drown. Do you know that feeling of panic when you are faced with something you really don’t want to do? To me, that’s like the panic of being underwater and not being able to surface for air. It’s in the quarry pool and the light reflected on it and I thought ‘perfect’. I reckon it has been there a hundred years or more…..I hope it doesn’t take that long for me to find my way……

Once again we had to pack up the house for more building work to be done while we are away and once again I cried when we left. The feeling of doom that is in the pit of my stomach now as I type, knowing I have to go back to the office tomorrow and face another trip to a foreign country on Tuesday is so wearisome. I don’t want to go away again. I don’t want to go to France (or anywhere). I want to be in Cornwall.

I credited today's pic a year ago to yesterday....so here is yesterday's pic of a year ago - it deserves to be seen! Two years ago, I was giving DM a pampering!