AUGUST BEGINS

So ... the first day of August and it's all happening, school holidays, the Olympics etc, etc.

Here cooler temperatures and light drizzle. We take one of our pensioners daily down to the Docs, for treatment of an ulcerated leg. He's in for a while, so we go walkabout.

It's hard to believe that where this modern Surgery now stands, used to be the site where the local Webbs Brewery once provided beer for all the local mining community from 1838 - 1969. Some local  buildings still retain the engraved stonework of 1898 & 1899. The old police station is now a well looked after private house.

The road leads behind the long row of terraced houses.

It was drizzling lightly as we went exploring and one of the wonderful things about wet weather is the way it brings the colour of the foliage into glistening contrast. >>>

Even something as common as young blackberry leaves can shine out like jewels in the thick, rambling overgrown hedgerow. Underneath these leaves, St Johns Wort was in full golden flower. A medicinal herb,  around here it grows in profusion more like an uneeded weed, as does another, yellow flowered, medicinal plant ... Evening Primrose, though they were originally introduced from North America & Chile, they are now mostly very variant hybrids. (Francis Rose)

The above are a smaller variety, managing to compete with the very invasive, thick goose-grass and rambling brambles, but they provide sunshine cheer on a grey day.

As the skies darkened and more rain threatened

<<< this delicately flowered plant glowed moon-like out of the dark recesses of a deeply shadowed wall. This plant twines and climbs, the blooms not lasting long but while they do, their white trumpet flowers just shine with a wonderfully pure white.

The colours in the growth along the side of the road were really highlighted today under the grey, rain heavy skies.. Everything smelled fresh after the light drizzle and the dog was clearly enjoying exploring the lower level scents. Most probably "blog spots" posted by other dogs.  At a higher level, there was the pleasure of the edible ... wild raspberries in profusion ... delicious, rain washed, fresh fruit!

Walking along the backs of these terraced houses there was also the pleasure of seeing cultivated flowers in sharp contrast to the rambling, climbing bank on the other side of the road. One plant at least seemed to want to take a peak at what life was like "on the wild side of life." This lovely red nasturtium >>>

had squeezed it's way through a gap between stone wall and wooden fence. All parts of this cultivated plant are edible, leaves and flowers in salads (as seen on many posh chef programmes) but pickle the seeds in vinegar and you can have your own "poor man's capers" to use when making fish dishes. Try it, it's worth it and ... they are easy to pick!

And another plant glistening with the light rain was this variegated ivy, rambling over an old stone wall. It almost reminds me of some painter just playing with splashes of colour.