7th May - Day 49 - “We observe few objects really closely. As we walk on the earth, we observe the external events at two or three arms' lengths.' Ansel Adams

Last night I got completely drenched and was, therefore, colder than I have been for a long time and arrived home utterly miserable, in need of a hot bath and finally agreeing I should have done 30 days! This morning, things felt very different, not only because the sun was shining again but because I deliberately stopped on the way to have a look at the bluebells in the wood.

There is something magical and special about bluebells and the effect they have on their woodland surroundings. Memories of walks in bluebell woods at this time of the year can stay with you for a long time.

I deliberately took a close-up shot this morning, as well as the wider scene, because as the title quotation suggests, we often forget when we look to really see the detail. We are already often separated from our surroundings by car windows, busy lives, Covid restrictions or how we feel. Although the cycling has made me notice more, it remains too easy to miss the detail that creates the bigger picture. If I hadn’t taken the picture this morning, I wouldn’t have been able to really see the amazing shapes of the flowers, colour and tiny droplets of water that enhanced the light.

The same is true of people. We often presume we know or are looking at a person, particularly when they are familiar to us, without noticing the details. It’s why I have always recognised throughout my career the importance of a staff briefing with all staff every morning. The way that someone enters the room or puts their bag down can reveal so much about how they are feeling or anything that has happened in their lives. The slightest expression or reaction can do the same. But - we need to open our eyes and be receptive to the details.

Returning to the bluebells, as with many flowers, myths and symbols are associated with them. They are meant to be a symbol of humility, gratitude and everlasting love. Given, like the daffodil, they are poisonous, this is an interesting finding. If you can turn a bluebell flower inside-out without tearing it (remember it’s a protected flower!), you are said to get the one you love. If you wear a wreath of bluebells, you will only be able to speak the truth - which seems very fitting when looking closely for the truths and the details.

It takes at least five years for a bluebell seed to grow into a bulb. which is a similar length of time that it will take me to grow into a fitter cyclist and raise all the money I’d want to for the Centre. Given I have nearly completed a third of the challenge and ‘only’ have 3035 miles remaining, I would much prefer to raise enough money for the Centre over the next 101 days, rather than complete the 39000 miles that would be required if I kept going for five years. Just think of how many heated socks and hot baths I would need!

Have a very good weekend and remember to look out for the details - in people and places.

‘I do not think I have ever seen anything more beautiful than the bluebell I have been looking at. I know the beauty of our Lord by it.’ Gerard Manley Hopkins