Callum in a basket

And when I awoke on my penultimate day in the UK, I tried to explain to Mum why I needed to see the fields one last time. I had always been drawn to the West of my home when living in Upminster, preferring the architecture and culture of city life to the country lying 10 steps from home, and in doing so, somehow missed the stunning open farmlands and ancient woods, the quaintest of old English churches and ancient forests which border this garden suburb of London and which sat but a stone's throw from the home of my parents and myself for a while upon my return from University. Sister Mary from the Convent where I was educated was due to arrive at 10am which gave me precisely 15 minutes to run to the fields carrying Callum and the basket mum had left in my bedroom along with an alarm clock to remind me to be back in time. I could do it, couldn't I? capture the wheat before the harvest, except the wheat had already been harvested and there were but a few wheatsheafs remaining to frame the baby in a basket.

"Oh catherine, why do you need to take so many photos?" That I had not processed one single one in 42 days was, no doubt, a great relief to Mum. And how could I explain that desire. Like Geraldine and her horses, it was like answering the question, Why do you need to feed your soul, your very being?

Such beautiful words of encouragement from Sister Mary who prays daily for Reuben, even long before she'd ever met him. Whilst I saw only one friend whilst in the UK, which left me surprised, disappointed and sad, my days with Mum and Dad were often punctuated by visits from the Church parishioners or Convent or visits to charity events with my parents. It is lovely to feel respected, a much needed boost to keep me bobbing along with the medical intensity of life.

And I learnt from my trip back home in the UK how much I crave a simpler life, perhaps forever away from LA, the beauty of nature, the sound of the cockerels and lambs in the morning or the scent of the summer sun at the end of the day on my boys' arms.
An alternative shot.

Slideshow of the UK and Scandinavia as it develops 1 July-12 August.