Summer comes to Shirlett: a short wander along the lane. The wild rose is in bloom, the pink of the petals whitening as they open. There’s honeysuckle too, and speedwell – and buttercups by the thousands. Summer’s here, I think.

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It can’t be far off! There are signs of summer all the way along the lane on this fine evening – the wild rose is coming into flower, as is the honeysuckle, and here and there the brambles are flowering. Will there be blackberries in June?

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An old favourite, perfect for a fine afternoon. There’s a cool breeze, though the trees provide some shelter and the sun is warm when it shines. There’s a bright yellow chicken in a old oak tree, the robins are singing ferociously and there’s a red kite wheeling in the distance, nicely caught in the sunlight.

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We’d had enough of domestic/garden duties by about 3.30 – which is when we realised that the sun had come out after a mostly-grey day. A quick wander around the Willey lanes should be good…

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Ne’er cast a clout…
…till May be out. Does it refer to the month or the hawthorn blossom? There’s plenty of the latter (a pleasant perfume in the air), and though the temperature is comfortable, it’s no more than that (and certainly cooler than the past two days). Wait until June, in other words!

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A day of still air and strong sunshine – it’s going to be warm this afternoon. Comer Woods should be ideal. It’s very pleasant here under under the trees and beside the pools, and it’s fairly quiet today. A cold drink at the cafe might have been a perfect end to our wanderings, but it closes at 3pm – abut a minute before we got there, in other words…
The car said the air temperature was 25C as we approached Bridgnorth, on our way home. It won’t last…

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It’s a warm and sunny Sunday, and we’re not feeling overly energetic. We’ll have a ride down to Ludlow, to walk down through the town (it’s very busy!) and over Dinham Bridge to the path leading back to Ludford Bridge. Back up Broad Street for a last look in the centre, then home again.

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An evening wander; another seasonal landmark. The wild garlic has been flowering here and there for a week or so, but not sufficiently for the nose to detect. Now there are carpets of white beside Linley Brook, and we don’t need our eyes to know it…

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…and the chocolate (it was in the camera bag. Almost suffered a mutiny…). The phone can substitute for the former; there’s no substitute for the latter.
It rained all morning, but the Met Office seems to think there will be a window between 2pm and 4pm (and perhaps this evening). So, we’re enjoying (mostly) a walk along Shirlett Lane, with some bright and warm sunshine. The air smells fresh and green, the birds are singing – what more could one want? (No, don’t say it.) As we walk back, there’s some heavy cloud in the west – someone’s getting wet, but not us. We’ve timed it to perfection – seconds after entering the house, there’s a heavy shower! (Chocolate, anyone?)