One of the joys of lockdown has been our daily walk. I love this time of year, when the hedgerows are bursting to life with cow parsley, cowslips, bluebells, wild garlic and the birds are in full song.

I think it’s easy to slip into a down mood during these weird days of lockdown, but finding the joy in small things definitely helps with staying positive.

I do feel very blessed to live in the countryside, in a small but sprawling village made of several hamlets, roughly strung together along a Cotswold limestone ridge. We have views down steep-sided valleys, footpaths meandering through wild garlic filled woods and little ginnels that criss-cross the village.

While we’ve been wandering the lanes I’ve really noticed the little things, like honeysuckle spilling over a wall, the myriad of shades of wisteria, the lovely lines of the vineyard on the opposite side of the valley, as it slowly comes to life again and birdsong with the volume turned up. (I keep wondering if the birdsong volume is related to the decrease in traffic?)

Little vignettes, like those above are inspiring me daily and I am adding lots of entries to my little lockdown journal. Just sketches, notes, recipes and even the odd shopping list but it has really made me observe what’s around me in a totally different and closer way. As you can see not really anything super artistic but its nice to spend a moment doodling!