Spring Sunshine

The weather has been so gorgeous over the past couple of weeks. I'm not meant to be happy about it because we've been officially declared as in 'drought', but SAD sufferers the region over are probably as thrilled as I am. Sun, sun, sun, whoo yeah!

Sunshine aside, it's been the usual spring sights that have been adding to my more buoyant mood of late.We've been enjoying walks along the river or in the woods, as well as time in our little garden.

Camellia in the garden, growing tall above the privy

The journey to work has also been much more pleasant recently, with lighter mornings so I can enjoy the country views from the top deck of the bus. My favourite sight at the moment is a field full of lambs .There's been a really nasty disease, called Schmallenburg Virus, affecting a lot of sheep farms in the area. If a pregnant ewe is affected in can result in severe birth defects, stillbirths or miscarriages. It's really horrible, so I'm extra happy that I am able to see these lambs healthily prancing around the field.

As I work in the middle of nowhere I can only get the bus so far. Usually a colleague picks me up and takes me the rest of the way, but as she was on leave this week I had to come up with an alternative. She showed me that if I took the bus a couple of miles further on from the bus station I usually alight at, then I could walk along a country lane, up through a pretty village, and then across the scary bypass and over to my workplace. I liked the idea because I love walking, but I admit that the bypass did worry me a little. I had to do that twice this week (my boss picked me up on the third day), and because the weather was so glorious it made for a couple of particularly lovely walks. The banks of the lane were adorned with daffodils, one of the many things I love about spring. On the second day I was lucky enough to see two young deer nibbling on some grass beside a lake. I stopped and watched them for several minutes, and when they looked up and saw me they didn't run away, they just stared at me for a little while and then went back to enjoying their breakfast. I eventually tore myself away, my stomach rumbling for its own breakfast. Thankfully the bypass wasn't all that bad to cross, and I made it into work in one piece!

I love spring. I do hope that it does rain soon, especially for the sake of the plants and wildlife that will suffer the most from lack of water. But whilst the sun is shining and the sky is clear I am taking advantage of it, because in this country you never know when the next spell of good weather will come along!

Photo my own.