The Kiss of the Sun

By Rita Clements Lee

This memoir takes place during 2012/13. The deliberate choice of sunny days, which accentuate the beauties of nature, combine with the intrusions of modern life to create a heady mix of observations around the Author's own little patch of paradise amid the rolling out of the seasons.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rita Clements Lee
• Release date: Jun 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310186615

Rita Clements Lee

Born in Liverpool, Lancashire. Educated in Yorkshire. Primary School Teacher for 20 years. In Commerce for several years. Interests include watercolour painting, music, walking,reading. French language.

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The Kiss of the Sun

Rita Clements Lee

Smashwords Edition

Published by Rita Clements Lee

Copyright 2014

Rita Clements Lee

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Rita Clements Lee

Copyright 2014

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved.

October 2012

South Yorkshire - England

The gentle hum of traffic - a neighbour cheerfully calling to someone passing by on the street, the rustle of feathers as goldfinch cluster and flitter around the tree.

They do not feed but suddenly fly away in a twittering shoal. An anguished voice - 'For crying out loud …' A raucous cough. The shockingly bright dazzle of marigolds in the sun, a car engine droning and fading away, dew glistening like jewels on the lawn. The dull crack of a shotgun in the distance. The sun warming my face. I am in our small middle garden, sitting on the south-facing step in front of the gleaming white side-door of the garage.

****

It is sunny but chilly. I revel in the scent of new mown grass but am very careful to keep away from a small, neat hole near the gate leading to the bottom garden. A couple of weeks ago I was sitting on the step when I became aware of a slight movement around the area of the aforementioned hole. A little flurry of movement saw a small mouse or shrew, red brown in colour, emerge and suddenly scuttle away through the gate. I had noticed a small patch of disturbed earth and a loose bulb previously. It's nice to know that a little creature is sharing my small garden with me. Every time I look at that neat hole I wonder if I will see it again …

NOVEMBER

The resonant hum of a plane slowly fading …… the air is cool and rippling the England flag set on the fence, evidence of my husband's deep-seated interest in football. I have my comforting hot orange juice beside me. The breeze comes in intensely cool shivers but the sun is shining bright. The shadow of the flag is dancing merrily on the lawn. The metallic sound of ladders being withdrawn and carried. Purple campanula and a bright clump of red and yellow snapdragons still delight the eye. The clouds are gathering. The sun bursts through and warms now and then before the gently wafting coolness takes over…. The ladder man is whistling.

*

It's a lovely bright day today. The sun is warming my face in a gentle breeze. The trees in the distance stand like sentinels on the golf course, some of them russet coloured now. The raucous sound of machinery mixes with the odd burst of birdsong. The little toy windmill suddenly whooshes into life and revolves in a few bursts of energy. A wasp like insect hovers buzzingly around the remaining marigolds. Other insects lazily meander up and down in the sunshine. The grass is glistening in the reflected sunlight. I see beautiful, sparkling diamonds of reflected dew amongst it. Some are gold, some orange. I seek them out. The sun is hot on my cheek.

*

The scrape of a spade - a woman's voice. The wind is gusty but my place in the sun is warming. There is no birdsong - maybe the wind blew the birds away to safe havens. The windmill is going at full tilt and the wind whooshing and crackling the now shrivelling foliage of the bushes. The wind comes in short, strong bursts and clouds are brooding in the distance but for the moment I have the sun ….

*

A beautiful, calm and sunny day, although I can see my breath. It is very still and accentuates the roar of traffic in the distance. I can make out a solitary bird giving forth a little trill. Sounds of noisy machinery and motorbikes prevail. The garden is half in shadow with the sunny side of the lawn covered in dew - masses of translucent little pearls. A finch flits from the honeysuckle to the holly bush. Another bird is calling - a whistle like sound and is answered. A plane drones loudly by. Though so sunny and calm, the noise of the modern world is invasive. Still, the sun is warm and comforting. The drone of yet another plane - then the startling and resounding sound of shotguns. A bird on the wall dives suddenly into the jasmine bush… A long filament of a spider's web shimmers and floats gracefully out of nowhere, disappears and re-emerges, caught by the sun.

*

It is sunny today but with a cold, strong wind, so not a day for lingering on the step! I decided to mow the lawn for the last time