A restless cat woke me before it was light, deciding it was time for us both to be up, and since the shroud of sleep had slipped from me, I wandered out , the promise of coming summer warmth gently around me. The grey, pre-dawn light was as soft as the breath of a sleeping lover and at the foot of the limestone cliff stood two deer, aware, calm, unconcerned. Then quietly, with ballerina steps, their tawny bodies became part of the forest as they faded into cover. The forest was silent, too early even for the birds, I sipped the bitterness of black tea and put the paddleboard into the car.
The board slid across the taut surface of the river, warm fingers of dawn reaching through the trees towards me. Swans glided and guided their puffball babies, herons stood in stately elegance as I passed, and my world was at peace, a state of bliss. A Cat Saturday.
