I was pleased to see this swan by the bank outside my window this morning. That's one thing that I do miss about cruising, as opposed to being moored on the marina, as swans are more prevalent on the cut.
Seeing the swan brought an element of light to my morning, in addition to the warming temperatures that we've had over the last few days.
Full of grace and charm, the swan appeared, and it was gone before I could even say hello. Its calm glide across the waters was like a demonstration of how slow and easy my day should be.
Sometimes I go swanning across the marina, but today my purpose was to visit one of the tenants who lives in one of the permanent lodges on the marina, who had invited me to come and see a swan that has been nesting outside her lodge.
At this time of the year, UK Spring, you can see swans nesting along the canals, and there are usually two, a male and a female, who take turns incubating the area while one hunts for food.
I felt lucky to be able to see this nesting swan within walking distance of my boat, and it was fascinating to see the male swan gliding up and down the canals within sight of where the female was nesting.
They are extremely protective, so I was cautious not to go too close.
The view from my friend's lodge is amazing because the living room has large glass doors, so you can see boaters sailing by.
Here, the male swan patrols the canal in the vicinity of where his female is nesting. This goes on for a few months until about the start of summer, when you'll see some beautiful swan families with their cygnets.
It was amusing to see the swan going in tandem with this guy in his canoe. You would have sworn the swan was a pet of the fella because the swan went at the same pace and stopped every time he did. I guess they can be playful and social at times.
As with these other canoers.
Do you think the male swan follows 'intruders' to keep an eye on and ensure that no one goes close to his female?
It's hilarious to watch, although I observed that a dog that lives in the lodge next door was bemused by the swan. There might be a rivalry of some sort because the dog went ballistic when he saw the swan, and my neighbour said that he barks and chases swans up and down the canal.
Slow living
Taking time to smell the roses is never overrated, and I've been mindfully starting my mornings early and at a slow pace. It's so much better that I'm waking up close to nature on Cygnet, my narrowboat.
One small change that has helped is that hubby drove the boat across the marina and switched the direction of the boat. So, I'm now sleeping with my head pointing east, which makes me wake up feeling fresh, and my saloon and office area face west, allowing me to watch the sunset in the evenings. This has been a small tweak with a massive effect.
I love slow and easy Sundays. What about you, peeps?
This post was all written and photographed to conceptualise my story of slow living, today's theme of the Minimalist community.
Thanks for stopping by, as always.
What rocks my boat
My blog frequently features my minimalist lifestyle and adventures while living on my narrowboat.”
Irie love,
Milly
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