HEAT WAVES

 Well what a change in the weather over the last week as we have been hit with days of heat and swelteringly breeze-less days. Phew! Lots of red faces amongst our farmers who have been busy with sorting out young lambs as the ewes look on bemused by it all. More have been released onto the commons and there the grass is covered with drifts of patches of wool as sheep get hot and rub up against anything  to get rid of heat itches. Can't say as I blame them wanting to get rid of that warm weight of fleece.

<<< On this photo the brown and white wool matched with the colours of the lichen on an old stone on the moorland. Meanwhile, the in-bye fields are being given a chance to rest and recuperate after months of grazing and following the weeks of rain and now warm sun, the fields are flourishing.
Now ... on May 22nd I promised you photo's of 18 petalled buttercups ... and yesterday I found just two in their normal patch of pasture. The only place I've found to bear 18 petalled buttercups out of all the places I visit.

A few years ago I read about some research that claimed that the more petals found on a normally five petalled buttercup was an indication of the age of agricultural land, possibly going back hundreds of years. So far I have counted ... 5,6.7.8.9.10.11 ... 18! But not yet found the numbers in-between. Now local folk think I'm mad for counting petals but it means I also notice other things at ground level too. It makes things interesting.
Anyway, just today I also saw another wonderful yellow flower, our native Welsh poppy.

Yes, they are yellow! I just love the contrast of colour with the old churchyard stone wall.
And for those of you who think I am only interested in sheep ... the pasture just below the church had cattle quietly grazing in the shade of the newly greening beech trees ...