Life and times in my particular environment

I really should post some pictures of the local hedgerows, wild honeysuckle, vetch, campion and stitchwort.

I was almost tempted to post an apology for the noise earlier, as just outside the window of my home office they have started cutting and turning for hay making.

I've just driven home watching sheet lightening in the West, smiling at a beautiful not yet full orange moon, and marvelled at the local farmers harvesting so late into the night, with their big spotlights lighting up the fields. A night full of colour and wonder.

What a lovely thread.

She's a good 'un is Bags!

Our family of red starts all seem to have moved on - DH anxious because he hasn't seen them for a few days. Yesterday we saw we have dragonfly which was flying between the veggie patch and garage - small one and a beautiful shiny blue.
Farmers have finished harvesting the corn and most of the straw bales have been stored. Wish the maize surrounding our plot was ready to go -DH is asthmatic and is affected by it.

Lovely thread. I miss being close to nature, living in London in an "ex local authority" house as I do. We take ourselves off for walks etc of course, but it's not the same as looking out of your window and being surrounded by nature.

So I shall reminisce - back in Durban, South Africa, a malachite kingfisher (the same one each morning?) would alight on the wooden fence outside my bedroom window just around the time when the sun would announce its intention to treat us to a sparkling Spring morning. A work of art against the deep blue sky and the strong greens of a tropical garden, it would cock its head this way and that, before plunging down on to the lawn in a spectacular dive to spear a fat worm, returning to the fence in one smooth arc to finish it off. I'd watch out for it most mornings, and take my cup of tea out on to the verandah, never tiring of the thrill of seeing that flash of blue as it spread its wings.

Sounds lovely Granny knot the only time I remember seeing a kingfisher was on a trip to Oz about twenty years ago.

What a delight to have seen gk.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I hope none of you have privacy issues as that link gave access to all the other fb pages of gnetters.

Just saying

I thought it was just a link to my photos!
I'll ask GNHQ to delete the post.
Sorry everyone

I wish there was an edit facility

I am really enjoying my urban environment, thanks to my super duper digital hearing aid (thank you NHS) - it makes me realise what I've been missing and so I appreciate it even more. I was reading the paper in the garden earlier, when I became aware of an almighty hum, created by all the bees on my lavender, escalonia and sunflowers.

I live on the edge of the city but am surrounded by parkland and woods that contain ancient trees. Foxes have had their cubs in the the quiet garden behind my outhouses, several years running. The park has a farm and lets the horses and ponies into the field by my house early each morning, often when I am taking my dog for her first walk. It's lovely to see them frolicking and charging up and down as though they are revelling in the sunshine, but equally wonderful to see them on a misty morning when the air is crisp and they are running around with their coats on.

There are tawny owls in the wood, who call to each other when it goes dark. I can hear woodpeckers, although I'm lucky to catch sight of them. When I step out of my house, I can hear the change in bird chatter as they announce my presence, especially the robins, who seem to have a territorial line over which I am not expected to step! The magpies have noticed the eggs I have delivered every Friday morning, and have started ripping up the egg box, leaving the eggs loose in the garden tub where the milkman leaves them. Cheek!

We are very near the sea, hence my odd winge about the gulls in the early hours! But when I come out of my front door, I can look down the road and see rolling fields, dotted with sheep. And, like Phoenix (who lives not far away) I find the hedgerows absolutely beautiful. There are wild roses on the roadside near us too.

And five minutes to the sea is joy!

Ariadne oh, to be near the ocean.

We do see the kids heading down with their surfboards, like they do after school in Durban, GrannyKnot, but while the sea nearby can be impressive, the beach isn't quite as stunning. And there is an absence of those lovely cafes and restaurants..

I would have loved a sea view, but it would have meant paying a considerable amount more for the house!

We had visitors last week, (they live in a town) and we took them to see our son at work. This involved a 15 or so minute drive through the country lanes. something we do regularly, and although I love the countryside, we take this route very much for granted. Our friends were absolutely thrilled with the scenery and hedgerows, said how lucky we were to live such a short distance from both sea and countryside, we know this, but need to be reminded occasionally that not everyone has the opportunity to live as we do, and we are indeed very fortunate.

I am constantly grateful for the opportunity to live in a rural environment. One morning last week, walking early I saw a hare bounding through fields, cattle knee deep in grass and butterflys fluttering around.

I love my sea view strictly speaking its the Bristol Channel. When I go into work I have to go through the countryside and I really love it.

Coming back from archery today we saw about a thousand gulls (and some crows, I think, but not sure) circling high above quite a small area. Because they were over a suburban area, I think they were just enjoying the thermals – having an easy ride in the late afternoon warmth.

And then, coming back along the home straight, along the side of the loch, it was lovely, just lovely, to see the masses and masses of meadowsweet growing in the hill slope verges. In some places there was ragwort mixed in with the meadowsweet – a surprisingly pleasing combination.

And we saw quite a few butterflies. We passed too quickly (or they did!) for us to tell what species they were, but it was good to see them so close to the road.

Then, lastly, before we turned up the hill to Oor Hoos, a raft of eider ducks, including small ones, on the loch.

After a 'dinner' of blackberry and raspberry soufflé (no added sugar, just some cinnamon and vanilla) with large dollops of whipped cream, plus a G&T each, we are feeling well content .

We've got a Co-op. It's quite a nice one.

jingle