The day started as normal… rise at 05:00, toilet, shower, shave, dress then on the road for work. On autopilot, I took the sweeping country roads in my stride, thinking about the day ahead and the usual bag of crock the day promised to bring.
As I rounded a corner, a rabbit shot across the road, interrupting my reverie and forcing me to brake.
“Watch it Bunny!” I exclaimed as it shot off into the hedgerow on the left. Just as I set off once more, another rabbit ran out, followed closely by a fox.
“Watch it Bunny!” I warned again. However, something about that encounter didn’t feel right, and for reasons I still don’t quite understand, I decided to stop the car and walk back.
As I approached the corner, another fox ran across the road and headed purposefully up the hill. Close on his tail were a pair of rabbits, a hare and then a badger. Flocks of sparrows, starlings and a couple of sparrowhawks flew over the ever growing procession of wildlife. I stopped, spellbound – in awe of this miraculous pilgrimage. Slowly I walked forward as more and more animals crossed the road, all so intent on their journey that all animosity was lost. There were creatures large and small, those with wings, with legs and those without either; Predator and prey walking and trotting side by side – stoat by rabbit, adder by vole.
I carefully opened a gate and joined the throng; a muntjac deer hind paused, gazed briefly into my eyes and then moved on. I had the strangest feeling that she had just asked me to accompany her.
As we neared the top of the hill, the animals in front had slowed and stopped. Turning toward the east, they settled in wait, rank upon rank stood, sat or perched. Reaching the edge of the congregation, I, along with my new muntjac friend, turned around and sat on the cold, damp grass. A fox sitting to my left, briefly sniffed at my arm, looked intently into my eyes and then gently rubbed his jowl against my elbow. I tentatively lifted my hand and ruffled his ear and, seeing me shiver, he shuffled closer to share his warmth.
At that moment all went quiet… The chirping, the snuffling and the bleating stopped; My attention, and that of every living creature on the hillside, drawn to the rising sun. A warm breeze suddenly rose and sighed through the grass, the hedges, and the trees. An overwhelming feeling of euphoria filled my mind and body. Warmth and light seemed to bathe every cell and I felt strangely at peace.
The benediction over as quickly as it had started, animals started to rise to their feet and make their way down the hill. After a moment I too stood and dusted myself down. The muntjac and the fox, my two baptismal buddies, exchanged glances and then walked with me and waited while I closed the gate. Finally back at the road, they stood together briefly watching me walk to my car, then ran off in separate directions.
Back in my car I sat, trying to make sense of all I had just witnessed. Today was Midsummer Day; reborn, baptised by the breeze and blessed again, I knew life would never be quite the same again.
FlashLights 