Natural highs and lows

Whilst contemplating the reason for the recent lack of blog posting (a bloggage blockage, I suppose), the obvious conclusion was that a lack of wildlife watching (and therefore source material) was a major contributor to the problem. The causes of this were manifold: Weather - lots of it and all quite unpleasant; Work - when able (see below); Wellbeing - we picked up a cold bug at the end of November and it is taking some shifting; Wherewithal - our stamina has been hit for six. Let me clarify that statement about the lack of wildlife watching... there's been a lack of actively going outside with the intention of watching wildlife. Meanwhile, indoors, there's been much perusal of live webcams from at least four continents. I'm not complaining, mind, as I think we would have gone mad without the distraction from the previously-mentioned Four Double-ues of the Apocalypse.  Thankfully, there have been fleeting moments of Nature's magic to lift the spirits and gladden the h...

May was such a wonderful month this year. Traditionally, it's our driest period of the year, but often with that lingering chill from a tenacious Winter before its grip is gently prised loose by a resurgent Summer. This one was warmer and sunnier than I can recall in my short time here, which is perhaps why June has been a bit of a shock. In fact, I have stopped calling it June, it's February all over again, being wet, windy and flippin' cold. But Summer is not so easily put off, and yesterday we had a glimpse of what could be, with a warm, sunny day where everyone in the county who was able to do so was either hanging out washing to dry or mowing the lawn. Or both! Today we have returned to the utmost dreich weather, so if you'll allow me the indulgence to cheer myself up, here's some photos from the garden yesterday. A hybrid Marsh Orchid, Northern x ???? Orchid in the drying green An area we're slowly filling with wildflowers from locally-foraged seed  Fox an...