Spring is Going to be a Little Late this Year

Well, that's a statement that's going to cause little or no surprise to anyone living in the UK. Spring 2013 started on the 1st March or the 20th March (Spring Equinox) depending on your opinions/beliefs. However, writing this in the last days of March it's hard to remember what spring is actually like.



It's a Cold Spring

According to the meteorologists a strong high pressure system to the north of the country is bringing cold Arctic air down across the country and preventing warmer air coming up from the south. Thankfully here in the SE of England we've been spared the awful weather that has hit so many northern parts. For a time last weekend it seemed that we were going to have our share of snow too, but by Monday that threat had passed. But the cold winds persist and this ensures a high wind-chill factor which makes it feel as if temperatures are permanently sub-zero. On higher ground you can still see the remains of snow drifts that fell nearly three weeks ago.

Mother nature seems to be reacting badly to all this with spring bulbs far from their best and indeed many still not in bloom. What's more there is hardly any sign of leaves starting to appear on the trees. I've been comparing photos taken a year ago with the current levels of vegetation and I would estimate that spring this year is running about 10 days behind last year.

So, how does this affect your average trans woman? I suppose that depends on how much cold weather you can endure because it's all too easy to prefer the warmth of your home to the chill winds of outdoors. As a dual role (or part time) trans woman, it's all too easy to get out of the habit of going out at this time of the year. So therefore I try to make a deliberate attempt to go out one day a week as Susan, regardless of whether I need to or not. But it's not always easy.

Last week I didn't really want to go out on the day I'd picked. I was tired from the day before and I had more than plenty to get on with in the warm surroundings of home. This coupled with the fact that I couldn't actually think of anywhere to go made it rather difficult. However, in the end I settled on a brief shopping trip to Redhill in Surrey. It's not a big shopping centre but it does have a medium sized Marks & Spencer and a range of other shops. I've been there many times before in male mode and it's a place that's always struck me as a bit on the "tough" side, so I felt a little wary.

But it was ok, even if I wasn't there too long. I picked up a few pairs of knickers in M&S (a girl can never have too many) and then had a general wander around. I think I was aware of one "reading" but didn't feel threatened at all. Then it was back home to the warm and all those jobs I should have been doing.

Today was my day this week for going out and once more it was very cold and I couldn't think of where to go. I know I must be in need of some warm weather, just like all of us. Yesterday brought us quite a lot of sunshine although it was still cold. This morning as I opened the curtains in my nightie (strange place to have curtains) the sunshine flooded in and I could feel the warmth all around me. Then I realised the heat was coming from the radiator in front of my legs. Back to reality............

The problem of where to go was partially solved when someone pushed a booklet through my door extolling the virtues of our local countryside and inviting me to explore it. I've always felt that I know my local countryside very well but this booklet had a few surprises. One of them was the "Toad Rock", near Tunbridge Wells in Kent. This is an outcrop of sandstone that has been weathered over the centuries into a form which looks like a giant toad sitting on a rock.



Me and "Mr Toad"

So, that was one place to go and another destination came from the local television news which featured a new modern sculpture that had been unveiled in Mayfield parish church, not far from Tunbridge Wells. So, that would do as another place to visit.

The Toad rock is located on the common at Rusthall, just west of Tunbridge Wells. I've long lost count of the number of times I've driven past the village and not knowing this feature was there. In fact, it took me a few goes before I found the right place. But having done so I went to see it and of course get some photos.

Whether or not it does look like a toad is something you'll have to decide for yourselves, but regardless of that it is a strange looking formation and no doubt this has encouraged people to attribute the likeness to it.



Winter, err, Spring on Ashdown Forest

I had been tempted to call in at Tunbridge Well's retail park whilst in the area, but it does have a fearful reputation for traffic jams and being the last day before Easter I thought better of it and so headed south towards Mayfield. Being an old village it has something of a parking problem with many of the roads badly clogged with parked cars. Thankfully I found a free car park (yes! - free) with some spaces. The sculpture in the church was very modern but somehow seems to fit in. For those interested there is a short local news item here.






From here I made my way home via one of my old favourites, Ashdown Forest. On a "spring" day like this there wasn't a great deal of attraction in the place. I got the impression that the gorse was far from being in the sort of bloom you'd expect by now. And of course it was very cold up there. Still, I managed a few photos, followed by an ice cream from the seller who seems to be there regardless of how cold it is. That still went down well with some chocolate I'd picked up in Mayfield. Not exactly a healthy nutritious meal, but it did me the power of good.

Regardless of the cold it was an enjoyable if brief day out. I'm finding it important to get out on a regular basis, if only to maintain my confidence levels. The last year has seen me making a lot of progress, thanks in so many ways to help from others. It would be awful after all that to let it slip away by default. With the Easter break upon us and with family commitments the next week or so may be difficult. But in two weeks I've got a long week away with friends and then I'll have all the Susan time I wish.

Thank you for reading this.

Susan XXX