HAPPY NEW WEEK!
I hope everyone has a good week.
The full moon, the "Strawberry Moon", was beautiful here last night. Very large and a lovely orange color. I don't have much else to report. The scorching heat and high humidity have kept me indoors all week, except for an uncomfortable trip to the grocery store.
Love and hugs to all. I'm so sorry for all of you facing tough challenges.
What a lovely time you had HARELADY.
ANNETTE My OH was disgusted with their performance.
Greetings from the small village of Empingham in Rutland! I'm on my way 'oop north' to the Methodisst Conference in Leeds, but as I won't be going anywhere else this year I'm pootling up. This afternoon I went to see the ospreys at Manton Bay. What an amazing setting! I saw the single chick on the nest - he's huge!! - who was ringed yesterday. And both parents. They perched on a nearby camera post and then suddenly both took off and gave a lovely flying display. I felt very blessed. And the sun shone! And there was something different to see from each of the four hides. Now I'm sitting by the open French doors at my B and B, listening to the birds and thinking about going to get something to eat. Tomorrow off to Lincolnshire to stay with some friends for a couple of nights. And then to Leeds ... which could initially be a bit of an ordeal - big problems over parking and getting luggage from the conference centre to the hotel on a walking route I don't know! Ho hum ... we shall find out on Friday.
Heather - What a lovely long post from you! Hope things are going well and that you are getting back into whatever passes for normality.
Everyone else - hope you are able to enjoy the wonderful sunshine. About time too!
dibnlib: My BiL was pretty much the same re England. He said even the commentators were expressing disgust!
PatO; Lovely! Pootling along sounds so relaxing. Hope the weather stays kind and that Leeds logistics aren't too onerous. Maybe you'll meet a Good Samaritan on that road. :-)
Lovely Pat O Enjoy your pootling.
Lindy - I so hope your OH’s appointment makes some progress on Friday. Great to see oystercatchers. They do come inland to nest. Do you have some open fields nearby? AQ - the situation with your OH sounds to be vestry difficult and upsetting. I am sending love and hugs. Harelady - that sounds like a really lovely holiday in Ireland. So glad you enjoyed it. Travelling is tiring though and this heat won’t help. Heather - great to hear from you and to hear about your determination to overcome problems. You do sound brighter and more positive. I am going to watch the England game soon. The last 2 games were terrible. I have watched some good games and some much better teams. England need to play with much more enthusiasm and determination!!
I have had a lovely few hours out with the Flora and Fauna group today at a site near Wrexham where we have discovered an amazing variety of wildflowers. I am not a botanist at all but I couldn’t help but be interested in what was being pointed out to me. There was an amazing number of bee orchids (photo attached) and some lovely common spotted ones in amongst the other wildflowers. Sadly, there was a shortage of insects. We only saw a few meadow brown butterflies and a couple of ladybirds. Consequently, there were not a lot of birds about. It was good to see swifts overhead though.
Rusty: That second photo of the meadow is lovely. It's like being there!
I agree Annette. It is lovely. Very peaceful.
It was peaceful Rosy and Annette. Quite a surprise as it is so near to Wrexham. The other half of the country park about a mile away has a cafe and toilets plus a river for dogs to jump in so is more popular. We will be returning.
To follow on with other wonderful captures, here are a few my gardens that may also bring some smiles for you all.
one of the hydrangeas
the last to flower on this group St Johns Wart...
and my wild garden just going over