Today M is back at work, and J is off to Auckland with a friend to stay with Steve and Heidi for a few days. It's not so long ago that it would have been Jeff and me going, but he's finally fledged and the old mother bird is left at home in the empty nest. I'm scared but am trying to remind myself of something I read in Dawna Markova's book 'I Will Not Die an Unlived Life: reclaiming purpose and passion':

"The big old spruce that stands behind the cabin reminds me that both of us grow by thrusting our roots into the darkness as well as our branches into the light."

In Fairbanks yesterday it was -57F or -49.4444445C. That's just plain ridiculous! So while my friend S was freezing her butt off in Alaska, I spent several hours chainsawing huge gorse, and trimming wayward, self sown pines, loading it all (with M) onto the trailer and then unloading it onto the bonfire heap. J helped in the second half of the day. It seemed very satisfying seeing the huge pile - until I looked at how much was left to do! We had only done a tiny bit, proportionately.

We rewarded ourselves by going for a swim, my first this season, and though there was a cool wind blowing by the time we got there just before 4, the water was perfect. I do so love the sea, and I especially love being just 15 minutes from the most beautiful beach in the world.