the wispy tufts of
the old man’s beard in verges
hedge sparrow wind breaks
Old Man’s Beard is a common species of climbing plant which seeds in winter. The seed is covered in a tufty whiteness. I hadn’t ever noticed it before, or rather, I hadn’t paid attention to it, my distracted mind filtering it out, but D educated me. It seems to be very common in the hedges. I can imagine little Hedge Sparrows (Dunnocks) nestling in it, like a big Santa beard!
(image – RSPB website)
green naked rosehips
stripped of petals windfallen
too early to blush
a pinch of angels
float, take root on chalk hills
as hardy thistles
Meadow Browns busy
along the sheltered old road
late summer blessings
Some pictures from my walk on Pegsdon Hills today. This is a beautiful time of year especially on days like this where the sun isn’t too hot and the breeze is gentle.
Wild Rose
A barren tree
Hawthorn berries, I took a photo of these trees when they were smothered in blossom back in the Spring.
ploughed fields
Sheep
poppy seeds rattle
in the contented old face
of the blind scarecrow
It had a face, not an engineered face. The poppy seed head just had a face! Most of the poppies in the garden are like this now, dry, full of seeds, rattling away when you brush past them. However there is one big fat one about to bloom! A late starter clearly.
goldfinches chatter
standing on the thistle heads
communal seed meal
When Goldfinches sing they sound like they are having a right camp gossip, lots of tinkly high pitched ooh’s and aah’s. It was like they were going out for dinner on the seed heads. They seem to be very social birds.
I can’t remember which Greek philosopher said it, in fact it might not even be a Greek philosopher, but anyway, one of his tips (whoever he or she was) for a happy life was sharing a meal with other people. Eating alone is just a function, of feeding the engine, but combined with some social interaction, some stimulation of the mind means you are also feeding your essence.
But don’t speak with your mouth open, because that’s rude.
(Goldfinch pic from RSPB website)
