Escape To Victory

Shades of green at Clare, Suffolk, originally uploaded by Whipper_snapper.

I shall be away from my keyboard for the next 4 days as Tinseltroos and I head out into the Suffolk countryside for a long-weekend. It will in fact be my first weekend of any kind for a while and boy do I feel like I need it.

The reason for the excursion, apart from the for the gosh-darned hell of it, is to celebrate my thirty second birthday. It has actually snuck upon me rather this year. We booked the holiday in the middle of what we laughingly referred to as our "summer" and at the time it seemed an eon away. But as work mounted up and I lost track of time it has suddenly veered into view just ahead of me. I must say it cannot come at a better time, I haven't needed a holiday this much for a while. Work has been pretty hectic/frantic in one form or another since the last holiday I had in May. That together with needing to give my eyes a break from looking at the same chunk of film mean I am counting down the minutes until I can bolt out of the studio today.

The weather forecast for the weekend isn't great but to be honest a change of scene, whether raining or not, is what I need most as long as I get to spend some time with my beloved. I have re-oiled my aging Drizabone stockman's coat and I now have a waterproof hat so it will take a pretty hefty amount of rain to dissuade me from doing a little exploring. I shall go and track down an Ordnance Survey map of the area we're visiting this lunchtime to guide us whilst we're out and about, if the weather permits. Otherwise we'll just have to stay snuggled up indoors with a fire, good food and our books which wouldn't be bad. I am told that there are a couple of good pubs in the village too which is the final piece in the jigsaw of contentment.

As we'll be in Constable country (not an artist I care for much but he assuredly knew picturesque countryside when he saw it) I may even take a sketch pad with me. I'll certainly have a camera. Expect pictures next week.

Have a lovely weekend everyone and I'll be back, a little older but probably no wiser, on Monday. I will almost certainly be a touch fatter too if all goes to plan.