Past glories

Perhaps it's the current climate - both the physical heatwave and drought of paid creative work - but I've been feeling a bit melancholy and nostalgic for my bygone assignments.

I really loved writing country diaries for the Guardian's long-running column but sadly I haven't had the opportunity to pick any more up since my first departure for maternity leave in 2021. The challenge of choosing a topic and creating a succinct contribution full of sensory riches was such a pleasure, I'm going to try and re-establish a routine, even if I'm only posting them here. It's a struggle to incorporate anything extra into my schedule so they will likely be sporadic, but wish me luck!

Delving into the past can be a bit painful, my anxious brain tends to surface the negatives much more readily than the positives. But when I get the chance to slow down and focus, there are amazing insights to be found.

Our family holiday this year was to the Jurassic Coast, since dinosaurs are getting a lot of love in our house currently. We had every type of weather: sticky sunshine, rain in all its densities and the sort of wind that makes you question your caravan choices. A highlight was our trip to marvel at the amazing discoveries in the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre. My only complaint about this treasure trove of a museum is that it isn't dog friendly but it actually ended up working in my favour. Waiting on the windswept beach with Caper while the rest of the family had their fill of ancient finds, my curiosity was drawn to a curlicue on a piece of mudstone that had fallen from the cliffs. I was so pleased to find a trace of an ammonite, and by gently prising apart the soft layers of rock I was rewarded with an even more striking example.

I'm taking it as evidence I should do more standing around aimlessly... or at least spend more time exploring my surroundings; the here and now.