Day 52

The weather has taken a turn for the rather fabulous and I had clear skies and tremendous heat for my walk today. So much so, the it was time for the summer hat. I was a bit concerned about the dogs as it was very warm but there is still  a reasonable amount of standing water up the forest, I figured they would be ok.

Up the road, there are the most fabulous honeysuckle bushes growing in a hedge as a garden escape. They are flowering right now and really suit the weather.

I took a few more shots on the way around, mainly to illustrate the fabulous blue skies which are such a rare feature around here. The heat really was quite strong and I found myself dipping into my water bottle a lot more than usual.

The view from the top was just stunning today. Hardly a cloud in the sky and most of what was there were high-altitude or drifting contrails.

Both the dogs and I were very glad to get into the shade after the relatively exposed first part of the walk. This part of the walk was punctuated by the occasional blast of sunlight into clearings full of foxgloves. There was even that smell of hot pine that I mostly associate with forest-park campsites in continental Europe.

The bilberries are coming along very nicely and it is looking like there will be a good harvest this year. It is a pity we are going to be away for a chunk of the season when they’ll be ready.

Anyway, after such a hot walk, it will be no surprise that I didn’t exactly set any speed records – I figure it took me over an hour but I wasn’t running a timer. Never mind, it was a nice experience to be up there in such fantastic weather.