Like a donkey's gallop

That's me this morning, all behind like a donkey's gallop, which is another of my old granny's sayings.  Quite why a donkey's gallop should be all behind was something I never did understand as a child.  I probably just accepted the saying as gospel truth (after all, one's granny never tells an untruth, does she?) without ever querying the facts behind it.  Anyway, I'm all behind this morning, whether or no there is any similarity to a donkey's rapid ambulation.  The cause of my tardiness goes back to Friday (and just in case you're not quite on the same wavelength as me, today is Sunday).  I woke on Friday with a stiff shoulder, the arthritis having managed for once in a while to beat my daily drug dose.  I full expected that the stiffness would wear off as I used the shoulder, but it became stiffer as the day went on and was quite painful by the time I went to bed.  It woke me in the early hours and even with the help of a couple of painkillers, I managed little sleep.  Things had eased by bedtime yesterday and I managed a whole night's sleep - deep, restful, satisfying sleep - that made me late rising today.  But what bliss it had been!  I very nearly burst into song as I stood in the shower.

Today, of course, is the first of September, so summer is over.  The last couple of mornings have started off much cooler than of late and I have worn a light jacket when walking the dog after breakfast.  The children go back to school this week.  Hey ho, the season of mists will be upon us before we know what's happening.  I suppose very soon some of my American friends will start their "Thanksgiving comes before. . . " campaign once more.  There are still two month's to go till bonfire night but already Brighton Lions have had enquiries about this year's fireworks display.

Summer might be over, but this year we have had a summer, unlike the last couple of years.  When I went to fetch the dog from kennels after our return from France last week, I stopped off briefly on Saltdean beach where people were enjoying the sun and the sea - and the little bit of gritty sand exposed as the tide goes down - to take a couple of snaps.  Here's one of them.