We were up and about early on Saturday morning so as to fit in a trip to the time-warp town of Wallingford in the south of Oxfordshire. It really is a quaint place with old fashioned wooden fronted shops facing a central ‘square’ that contains a church and several old civic buildings. One of the larger shops just happens to be the home of Village Fabrics! I spent over an hour in that haven of all things patchwork and quilting while hubby and #2 son explored the town and picked out a suitable coffee shop for us all to enjoy some refreshments before the journey home.
Not being a driver I really enjoy a trip out of town especially when the sun is shining and the roads are quiet and follow the curves and undulations of the countryside. Our hour long ride to Wallingford took us through some fairly open country and towards the end we were travelling along the Thames Valley. I do a bit of bird spotting from the passenger seat and thought we might see some Red Kites.
We saw MANY Red Kites! When I was a youngster (we are talking early 1970s here) the Red Kite was one of the rarest species of bird in the UK – around twenty breeding pairs carefully guarded in the depths of Wales.
Several programmes to re-introduce the Red Kite have, in the last ten years, taken off in spectacular fashion. Never in my wildest 9 year old imaginings would I have considered seeing Red Kites circling around the rooftops of towns in the south of England but now I regularly glance out of my kitchen window and see a Kite (or two) wheeling gracefully through the air. Despite these sightings becoming almost a daily occurrence they still give me a great sense of excitement especially when the Winter sunshine lights up the red and gold feathers and the 5½’ wing span appears to shrink the mobbing black crows to the size of starlings. I wonder at the grace of this bird directing its passage through the air with just a tilt of its wing tips and a slight twist of its forked tail.
Isaiah says of God:
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall: but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Hope in Him, feel the weight of cares taken away and the wonderful sensation of soaring on wings like eagles (or Red Kites). What a promise in these ‘world weary’ times!
Allison
One of my favorite verses! They look like beautiful, majestic birds. Love your fabric finds!
Thanks! The picture the words paint in my mind is so uplifting. As for the fabrics, I am loving to pat them and dream of finished projects! Watch this space but don’t hold your breath!