Author: Stephen James

Leaving for work on Monday morning, a flat tyre. A wheel change, a trip to the tyre shop, half the morning gone, original plans scuppered, how best to use the rest of the day. Usually this leaves me feeling frustrated, stressed, guilty even. Not quite in control and my day wasted.

As it was I was able to catch up on some outstanding tasks; email clients, planning, that sort of thing. Which, of course, restored a little control. Salvaged the day.

I’m not good at letting go, adapting. I tend to hold on tighter. But maybe after forty-odd years, I am learning.

Deleted my Facebook account. Not that I used it much, but in terms of getting rid of accounts where privacy is the issue, Facebook is the big one.

Went camping last weekend. Gorgeous weather, colder at night now. Cirrus clouds made a myriad of patterns. A little time to stop and look around.

So that’s it for another Ashes series & The Summer of Cricket. And what a summer…Ben Stokes, Steve Smith, Jofra Archer…

Perhaps, as well, the question of who can open for England has finally been answered.

Stepped out into our garden early this morning. There has been little in the way of bird song recently, but in the half-light of dawn, I could hear Robins singing again. I enjoy the shift in the seasons.

Well done Australia on retaining the Ashes. Moments of brilliance from England, but not enough. Sigh!

Among the dramas playing out in the current Ashes series, one thing is beginning to emerge – in Rory Burns, England may have found themselves a true opener with the right temperament. Perhaps a player whose technique is not influenced by the short form game? As Barney Ronay says in the Guardian, Burns is ‘here solely on first-class red-ball merit.’

Deleted one of my Twitter accounts. It has sat idle for over a year anyway, but haven’t been able to bring myself to get rid of it. This is part of my drive to stop using social media silos. At some point I will write about my thinking behind this.

Nature never ceases to amaze…Barn owls reflect moonlight in order to stun their prey

Beech trees – Larkbarrow, Exmoor