Warm and Windy.

All day strong winds have been blowing while it's definitely warming up.

This afternoon I took myself off for a walk around Manning's Pit. (Our road is behind the houses hidden on the left.) The quickest way in is over this gate. Turning around the view is of green fields and trees. 

Plenty of birdsong in the air but also sadly, the constant rumble of machinery building new houses in the fields to the right. The original plan had been to build in these fields too and maybe down along the stream but that has been stopped, for now. 

First I took a short diversion across the wooden bridge to gaze over the 4ft high grass and enjoy the sight and feel of the wind. There I met the first of a number of dogs accompanied by their humans, a young cocker spaniel puppy who cautiously sniffed my hand before hiding behind his owner's legs. Later dog encounters were an enthusiastic staffie and a gentler black lab.

Crossing the stream I turned back to meander along the water meadow by the stream.  

Generally around 12" deep with occasional pools that are possibly 18"-24" deep the stream is the perfect playground for youngsters. With rope swings (below), building dams and dens it harks back to a more relaxed time when kids were allowed out without supervision and this still happens here though possibly for older children. Today there were two mums, a dog and four children playing in a shallow pool (the children only!) 

Back home the usual housework included washing the top decking where an incontinent seagull, or a seagull and friends had splat bombed. That doesn't happen very often. I also gave the rhododendron bush a good trim to prevent it getting out of hand. I must have cut it back at the wrong time last year as it only had two bunches of flowers but it's the common sort and tough as nails.

I tend to amble rather than march when I'm walking and even stand and just look when I'm out with the camera. I'd looked in vain for the Beautiful Demoiselle from the bridge where I'd seen them before and then suddenly one appeared in the meadow. Not the best photo but it really is a spectacular insect.  I was taunted by a Small Blue(butterfly) which fluttered up into the trees. The flies were a nuisance and I ended up undoing my plait so that my hair kept the flies off my back.