Shakespeare’s line
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May
might have been written for today. Perfect for drying the washing, but otherwise a bit blowy.
But it was William Blake’s
green and pleasant land
we enjoyed East over the weekend.
Despite a notable lack of rain over the last few weeks, the fields are lush, and every lane, every hedgerow is bursting with life and colour.
East Anglia’s flat landscape and big skies are made more dramaitic on windy days, and even small rises in the ground give views for miles.
It’s horse country, the more so near Aunt’s home where agriculture gives way to stud farms. There are horses in the field by the marina too, but they are family pets, not future runners at Newmarket.
The journey home takes me past another type of farm, a wind farm. The blades large and stately, moving in slow circles against the sky.
A solar farm has been added to this; row upon row of panels upturned to the shifting sky. But I drive on without taking photos, so those pictures are only in my head.
Newly ploughed fields with their rounded ridges remind me of Mother’s comment when she received her special mattress to relieve pressure. Like sleeping on a ploughed field, she said.
I drove by bluebell woods too, and the geese were already parading their goslings by the river.
Reblogged this on My Bloggerdiok.
Nice horse with cute ears… 🙂 Can’t believe how dark and rich those fields look. Very pretty countryside. Must have been a nice drive Isobel.
This will give you some background to the fens http://www.visitcambridgeshirefens.org/historyofthefens
What you can’t get from the photos is the smell of leeks. They are in the fields all around the marina.
It’s nice countryside in good weather, but on cold windy days or or hot ones there is little shelter or protection. In the winter it can seem pretty bleak.
My memories of Suffolk are of big skies, no hedgerows and no hills, not like my Devon, but lovely just the same.
I grew up on the Downs which is again different. So much variety in one country.
Wonderful skies, Isobel. We’ve been accompanied by the smell of the rape fields on our travels. They look so pretty, but oh my, do they smell!
I hope you are enjoying good weather for your trip Lyn. I find one field of rape ok, but the smell is rather pungent when there is field after field of it.
Beautiful sunshine yesterday. We cycled through and past lots of woods with masses of wild garlic growing. That really was pungent. Today is sunny again and we’ll be cycling through the Wachau, apparently the most beautiful stretch of the Danube. Am looking forward to it.
And I imagine your heart is even lighter knowing that Noxious Nigel is not now your elected representative. 🙂