Well another Bank holiday weekend and the weather forecast was promising for the first couple of days. For me it is a busy time in the garden. I like to get all the plants, vegetable and flowers into the garden as soon as possible. The greenhouse has been overflowing and I’ve been tripping over plants and it is lovely to get order to the chaos once again!
The countryside is looking really lovely at the moment and the wild flowers are givin a spectacular display at the moment. Whilst the bluebells and cowslips have faded the fields are now full of buttercups, clover and other numerous grasses and flowers. Even the hedgerows are a good as nay cultivated herbaceous border with the campions, cow parsley and vetches, I notice one or two dog roses rambling flowering over the hedges.
I have mainly been on local walks as it tends to get very busy around our part of the world in Dorset. I don’t really mind as wherever I go there is always something different to see and enjoy.
As I was comming home from work on Thursday evening I saw over a dozen swifts flying over Hayward’s bridge near Shillingstone. The first I have seen this year, it was good to see them back again!
May Bank Holiday weekend so it was a good reason for staying close to home, the roads, shops, beauty spots get extremely busy and when you are lucky enough to live in a beautiful part of the world why rush around when we have everything on our doorstep. Also at this time of the year there is always plenty of jobs to do in the garden as everything is growing rapidly especially in the greenhouse.
I took Kim for a walk early on Saturday and Sunday, around 6.00am, it was the best part of the day and very quiet. Kim was really good and enjoyed the long walk from home down to Bere Marsh on the River Stour and onto the North Dorset Trailway to the Hammoon Road. I’m not sure how far it is but it took us about an hour and half there and back. It was a lovely time to be walking along it’s length and there was a light mist over the valley. The views towards Hambledon Hill are always impressive especially as the sune rises, and this weekend was no exception.
There is always plenty to see especially with everything growing so fast at the moment and the birds are very busy and not so elusive as they usually are, most feeding young a the moment.
As I returned across the meadows the landscape and light was wonderful, I had my compact camera with me and I couldn’t resist a shot with the buttercups just coming out and the cows and misty trees in the background.
Still keeping a close eye on the weather I got up early Sunday morning, at 6am to make the most of the sunshine before the expected cloud and rain moved in. Kim was rearing to go and I managed to prize Lucy out of her chair and I took them both up Hambledon Hill. Of course I had to leave Ellis at home because it would have been too much for him at131/2, years old, although he would probably have tried his best!
I took the car to Markham cottages just outside of Child Okeford on the road to Hanford and parked in the lay-by. The way up Hambledon from here, is quite steep but you can get up there a lot quicker than the other ways, although I do have to make an excuse to stop and enjoy the view a few times!
The view as always was fantastic and really clear although it looked as though it was raining over Bulbarrow and the Dorset Gap, the sky was very dark. Hambledon Hill though was bathed in sunshine and the dogs enjoyed the freedom of the hill. We only saw one other person walking their dog early as we were, later in the day it can get quite ‘busy’ at the weekend.
I aways feel privileged to be walking where people have lived thousands of years ago and this feeling is more poignent at the beginning and the end of a day. How many of our ancestors have worshipped the sun as it rose after a night and prayed that it would return again in the morning at dusk when it disappears below the Blackmore Vale.
We all had a good walk and returned home before the weather deteriorated to breakfast!
I’ve been watching the weather forecast all week to see what the weekend weather would be. I was determined to get out there with my camera and dog/s to enjoy the spring. I noticed the bluebells beginning to flower along the top of Delcombe Valley towards Milton Abbas as I was driving to work, so I knew it would be worth taking a walk up round Shepherd’s Corner on Shillingstone Hill.
Saturday morning seemed a good bet, there could be showers but there would be sunshine in between. I took Lucy the Lurcher with me, she is very patient when I’m trying to take photos, I’ve only got to worry if she spots a deer.
I parked at Okeford Hill and walked along the edge of the forest towards Field Grove and then turned into the woods and headed through to Shepherd’s Corner it was well worth it as the bluebells covered the steep bank as I walked towards the huts and I managed to get some pictures of bluebells, beech trees and a nice blue sky. When I got to the huts I went into the Oak woodland where the Coppice Group have their demonstrations and this is where I found a really beautiful blue carpet of bluebells as far as the eye could see and the scent coming off them was wonderful.
I hope they will still be around next weekend to enjoy once more until they disappear into the summer growth for another year.
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