Essex beauty

I feel quite sad tonight. Coming home seeing the changes in the landscape here, first on the train, and then in the car, brings it all home to me how beautiful this county is - and I've lived in a lot of counties; one that doesn't even exist any more too! The fields of rape, brilliant acidic yellow against the intense green of the new leaves on the trees. The dappled sunshine on fields of crops. Peaceful horses grazing in the late evening sunlight. It strikes me how contented everything looks from a train window - nothing seems violent, or hateful, or miserable on a late sunny afternoon through the speeding window of a train.

And at home - cherry blossom out, the pond in full tadpole glory, the blackbirds singing and sparrows darting in and out of the hedge. Bulbs I planted last year coming back up this year. Bluebells shyly peeping from the shadows at the end of the lawn, a striking blue against the darkness.

I will be so sad to leave here. It's been three years since we left London and I've never wanted to go back to a city - but now I will be. I hope I can cope.