By Reina Free
My early morning walks along beautiful Kings Lane are very special for me. Time to think, to thank, have a word, stop and stare, observe in detail the various splendours of nature. I do realise this is a rare luxury as I hear in the distance the muffled rumblings of train and cars. People on their way to work.
I have not seen for some time the roe deer family in Chris Ruttle’s wheat field. Where they are now, and “whither did they wander?” But what has alarmed me is that I have not seen one hedgehog. What has happened?
There is a little copse where I found a small cup, rusty inside, of a strange shape. It made me catch my breath. I thought I had found a rare and ancient artefact. Not so. I was told it was in fact the top… now wait for it… the top of a hand grenade. This made me think about the caches of weapons that were hidden in the dark of night by the men of the Land Army in preparation of a possible invasion by the Germans in the beginning of World War II. It would be nice if someone could throw some light on this strange find.
The sun is shining on the wheat, oats and barley fields. I was told the farmers now need six weeks of dry weather for the growing and later harvesting.
And yet three days ago (still July) I ate my first blackberry. This morning I saw the first very fine spider’s web in the verge’s grass. The hazelnuts are ripening, yet not ripe enough for the gathering by the squirrels; even some trees are showing soft subdued autumn colours. This has actually been going on for some time.
The cherries are dark, almost black, sweet, still on the trees, a veritable feast enjoyed by blackbirds and starlings, the ones they drop searched for by night by fox and badger. On the top of the straw bales in the barn of Strawberry Hill Farm two little owls are sunning themselves in the early morning sun. Later I see one on ‘lookout’ right on top of the barn. How wonderful, how beautiful it all is.
Continuing I look up and have a ‘word’ for all the people whom had their houses flooded just some weeks ago.