Fresh fields

Today’s guest picture comes from my sister Mary. She visited the British Museum today in the company of my Somerset correspondent, her old friend Venetia.

We woke to a bright and breezy day today, very bright and exceedingly breezy.

After breakfast, I went out to check on some camassia that Mrs Tootlepedal had told me was growing behind a bush.

Mrs Tootlepedal went off to the Buccleuch Centre to have coffee with her ex work colleagues, while I entertained Dropscone at home. He had been playing in a golf match up in the borders yesterday, and reported that he had played quite well.

When Dropscone departed, I had plenty of time to wander about without doing anything useful. It looks as though we should have a good crop of apples this year.

My favourite flower of the day was the Rosa Moyesii making the most of a sunny morning.

I went in and kept an eye out for birds.

The seed in the feeder is going down much more slowly than earlier in the month. Our flock of siskins seem to have found somewhere better to go.

As it was too windy for comfortable cycling, even on electric bicycles, Mrs Tootlepedal and I drove down to Canonbie for a sheltered walk by the river.

It was a good choice. We parked at Canonbie Church, and walked down the River Esk for a while, and then cut across a field so that we could walk back up the Liddle Water which joins the Esk a short way down stream.

It was quite warm when the sun was out, and the lambs had taken to a shady spot.

We were happy to walk in the sun.

At the corner of the river, the path leaves the bank for a while. Mrs Tootlepedal skipped up the steps provided . . .

. . . and I followed at a more sedate pace.

The path took us through a strip of woodland between fields and the river. On one side there were signs of the fishermen who use the path . . .

. . . and on the other, a deer flashed past us in the field.

On every side there were wild flowers . . .

I think that the little white flowers in the bottom left corner are sticky chickweed. They were in the fields that we crossed.

When we took the path up the Liddle Water towards the Riddings Viaduct . . .

. . . we were in terra incognita for us, and we had to look for the path at times. It left the river at a bend . . .

. . . and went through gates, over bridges and up to the road back to Canonbie . On the road we met the wind but had fine views too.

The road was rich in wild flowers.

Mrs Tootlepedal tells me that the top left picture shows orpine. I could recognise the buttercups and clover.

The most striking wild flower show that we saw was this clump of birdsfoot trefoil opposite Canonbie School.

We called in uninvited on an old friend who lives beside the church to see how she was, and she kindly offered us a cup of tea, and in my case, a biscuit too. We took up this offer, and had a good catch up before heading back to the car . . .

. . . and driving home in time for our regular Zoom with my brother and sisters (and my Somerset correspondent Venetia, who was visiting Mary).

It was a very good walk, especially at this time of year and in our present dry conditions. I hope to do it again soon and visit both the meeting of the rivers and the viaduct.

After a very blowy week, the wind has finally dropped as I write this in the late evening. We will not be sorry to see it go.

The flying bird of the day is a pigeon.