A fab day!

What a fab day!  I started at How Hill hoping to see the elusive Swallowtail butterflies. I had a chat with the guy in the office.  Not the one I usually talk to but another one.  I told him of my search and he said that the first two weeks in June are the best to see them and that apart from the usual plant which I can never remember the name of they also go mad for pink flowers.  He led me outside to look at a patch of Red Campion and I was gobsmacked to see a Swallowtail fluttering about.  Actually the guy was as gobsmacked as me.  Talk about an easy tick!  I was well happy and what a gorgeous creature it was.  I followed that with a lovely stroll round the reserve in gorgeous sunshine.

After lunch I decided to take the little dog for a walk in the woods.  I had to stop off and give a message to hairy hubby who was working next door on a machine for the tree surgeon.  Aparently hubby had told the man I am keen to learn the names of all the trees and I was lucky enough to get an impromtu lesson from him.  The best thing was that I actually remember lots of what he told me.  Well at the moment anyway!  He said I can go back take him leaves to ID.  I could not have asked for better.

I followed that with a lovely long walk (the dog is knackered now) in the wood where I saw lots of deer, including one which I don't think was a Muntjac, it was too tall and leggy.  I really need a good Deer ID book but can't find one anywhere.  I walked further into the wood than I have ever done before and found a big lake.  It was a lovely idyllic spot and had lots of little perch and roach in the margins.  There were some benches there and a table, I think someone uses it for barbeques.  I just hope no one is ever there when I go again or I will feel a right berk crashing in on them.  I can't wait to take hubby and show it to him.

I feel so blessed to be living here, it's like a holiday where you never have to go home.  It is wonderful to have all this space and green around me, the air is always fresh and there is always somewhere to go.  What more could I ask!