Thresholds

Childhood is all about first times. Lots of them today. It was the first time we put him in the car seat on our own, and the first time we took him on a car journey outing on our own. It was our first time (not his) at the outdoor play-school, where he showed us the unfamiliar activities - we got a little paint on us, but not too bad. It was the first time we took him to a café for lunch, just the three of us - he took his own, but he shared ours too; it's good to have someone else besides MrsM who will eat my cucumber

It's not the first time we three have been to the University garden together, but it's the first time he has taught us the game of walking head-first through all the different kinds of leaves, weeping tree branches and pampas grass-heads that are overhanging the paths. This was a good activity choice when we were all getting a little weary, after so much novelty and physical effort. We made it home, after our second journey together, flushed with our pioneering success

Walk-by photography, with a baby one one arm, didn't do justice to the very well-managed garden, that still has a rich mix of colours, textures and moods, as we move into late summer of a difficult year. So, for once, I picked a small section of one picture, and faffed around. The day was rich, colourful and soothing - not harsh, black and white and spiky - but never mind