Sunday reflections

Perfectly beautiful Sunday morning, Lucy and I slowly walked along Salton lane, there were pale headed birds flitting along in front of us, no they couldn't be buntings could they?  Each day I make a mental note of the birds around.  For a start three pigeons have met their deaths in the garden the last few days.  We thought at first it was the hawk, but it could well be that weasel lurking on the other side of the fence in the copse, the chickens sounded the alarm several times during the morning, and LS spied something happening behind the chicken coop.

Life and death are all part of the countryside, that beautiful dead swallow I found at the side of the lane a few weeks back, perfect in shape and colour, the lesser deaths of the plants as they raise their dry seed heads to the sky.  In the garden the long fence with Several Virginia creepers is toning down to a soft dark red, dark berries whilst the holly tree's berries turn a vibrant red.  Last roses fill you with melancholy, and the dark draws in more quickly every evening.  And the bats come out to greet the night as I go to shut the hens in, in the morning when I let them out, I am greeted by the cawing of the crows in the copse, not sure whether they are greeting me or grumbling at my appearance.

Out of the dining windows, on the little hillock between the graveyard and field, early morning, and I will see the sheep pressed against the fence nibbling whatever has fallen, a trio of rabbits sometimes appear and recently the appearance of young pheasants, all in a small space.  Across the road Nigel's Shetland sheep group themselves on a high bank under the hedge, whilst his two goats potter in their paddock.  Nigel goes out every day to glean the hedgerows for his goats, with his dozen or so sheds in various states of disrepair guess he and his wife have found Nirvana ;)

Whilst Nelson with his acre of land, goodness knows where he sleeps on it, though he probably has a disreputable caravan somewhere, and untidy sheds, cackling geese and wandering hens , not forgetting his half dozen sheep, has found his place on Earth as has Bealtaine Cottage owner Colette.