May is one of my favourite months of the year, so I’ve been spending as much time outdoors as possible, taking long evening walks and pottering around in the garden. Everything is suddenly green and luscious, the landscape outside my window beckoning me constantly. Cow parsley lines the lanes, the hawthorn trees are covered in blossom, and I’ve just picked the last of the dramatic tulips that filled my beds all month.

Wild swimming season hasn’t fully begun for me yet, as I can be a bit of a wuss when the air temperature is chilly, but I have enjoyed a few brief dips these past weeks. It’s inching closer to that time of year when I don’t want to leave the water. I’m intending on trudging up the hill to my favourite dam on the tops for early morning and sunset swims as often as possible. I’m also looking forward to discovering new local spots to dip, to add to my list of pools, ponds, lakes and rivers that I already know and love.

The late evenings are one of my favourite parts of this time of year, walking, swimming or dining outdoors to make the most of the long days and golden light. I always struggle with early mornings, but when the sun is shining it encourages me to get out of bed and make the most of the day. These late spring days creeping into early summer make me feel both energised and exhausted, as my ideology for slow living conflicts with my instinct to do as much as possible to enjoy this fleeting season.

And the nature surrounding me is spectacular right now. Not only are the trees full of life and flowers springing into bloom, but the local wildlife has awakened. The dawn chorus greets me every morning through my open window from our neighbouring woodland. Two baby deer wandered down my street just a couple of days ago. Wild bees swarmed then relocated. The fields are full of lambs and calves. Owls serenade me at night, as bats flit around the rooftops.

May is truly magical.

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