As I’m sure you know, it was Valentine’s Day yesterday. Some of you may have pushed the boat out, others may not have marked the occasion at all. My husband and I tend to fall into the latter category – other than a spectacular surprise night out several years ago, complete with jazz, baby animals and a picnic, we don’t really do the ‘Valentine thing.’
Which is fine by me. There are 365 days in the year in which to say we love each other – to celebrate one as being more important than all the others isn’t really something I’m bothered about. However, to each their own.
So this year we had made no plans, as usual. Then the gorgeous girl was asked on a sleepover at her best friend’s house, and suddenly we found ourselves at a loose end. The weather was cold but sunny, so when husband suggested a drive out to Dunstable Downs, I was very keen.
I love the Downs. There is an energy there at once uplifting and relaxing, the ancient landscape holding the feel of old Britain, green countryside stretching for miles around. Other than a very nice visitor centre, there is nothing much up on the Downs, which is how it should be. The attraction is the view, the clear air, the gliders swooping like giant birds overhead, kites streaming in the fresh breeze.
It was bitterly cold when we got there, but the sun shone and I took several photos up there, as I usually like to do. When I looked at one photo I saw this:
I had taken two photos in quick succession of the same view, cold fingers fumbling a little. The orb is visible in both, though in the second shot it has moved a little. And, even though I took other photos pointing the same way, it’s only visible in these two. Trick of the light? Maybe. Probably. But then again…
So. This was already a cool (actually, cold – it was freezing up there) start to our unplanned day out. Feeling hungry, we stopped in at a popular country pub on the way back, expecting it to be heaving with couples yet hoping we might get a table for two. And we did. Amazing! The food was lovely, the service excellent and we enjoyed the chance to sit and talk and eat uninterrupted. Then we realised there was a 5:15pm showing of Deadpool at the local cinema. It was 4:40pm. Forgoing dessert we asked for the bill and headed back into town, hoping we’d get in before the movie started (and that it wasn’t sold out).
It wasn’t. We made it with ten minutes to spare, managed to get two seats together and sat back, ready to be entertained. Husband isn’t as big an X-Men fan as I am, so he was a bit unsure. However, from the opening credits he was laughing, as was I and most of the other cinema patrons. Deadpool is excellent. Profane, funny, gory, romantic – we both enjoyed it immensely. It was probably the perfect Valentine’s Day movie for us.
Sometimes the best days are those with no plans at all.
Helen Glynn Jones 
Sounds like a perfect day! The unplanned ones are always the best ones. 😊
It was great, thank you 🙂 I was just going to write about Deadpool, because I enjoyed it so much, but then the post expanded into this.
I like the unplanned days best too. Haven’t been up on the downs for a long time though.
Me either, not since the summer, I don’t think. It was so cold up there yesterday, but I always feel as though the cobwebs have been blown away whenever I’m up there – just one of my favourite places 🙂
It must be twenty years since I was on that side of the valley… 🙂
And I have yet to visit the other side 🙂
The woods at Ashridge and the Beacon as well worth the trip 🙂
Sounds like my kind of day. And I can’t wait to watch Deadpool.
It was a great day 🙂 And yes, highly recommend Deadpool, very entertaining!
What a great day out. No expectations sometimes leads to the best days.
They really do 🙂 It was lovely, I think partly because it was so unplanned.
They’re often the best days.
Sounds like a great day! Lovely photos.
Thank you! It was a lovely day out, definitely 🙂
My bet is on more than just a trick of the light, Helen. 🙂
What a fun day! Sounds lovely.
Thanks Eilis, me too – the energy up on the Downs is pretty powerful 🙂
Sounds like you guys had the perfect day, Helen, and with Orbs as well.
I’ve no idea what Deadpool is about, but it’s the second time it has been mentioned in a blog post I’ve read today.
It was a great day out, and the orb was an added bonus 🙂 Deadpool is the latest superhero movie, it’s X-Men based but super profane and x-rated, completely hilarious. I haven’t enjoyed a movie that much for quite a while…
Hope you’re all settled in now, lucky you living in Wales 🙂
Awesome day. How do u capture so many orbs. They must be attracted to u. Do u take photos on a proper camera or on ur phone? I just use my phone now and I wonder if that’s why I don’t capture them. Also deadpool is bloody awesome I wrote a review funnily enough about it for tomorrow’s post!
I use my phone to take pictures, though some of my other ‘orb’ shots were done with a digital camera (when we had one). Not sure why I keep getting orbs…
And Deadpool! So funny – I love all that stuff anyway, Marvel, X-Men, Star Wars etc. But hubby, who isn’t such a fan, loved it too, so it was a great date movie 🙂