A sunny day! Not since July 12 have we had a proper sunny day up where I live. I think we have had rain, or been overcast, for some time each day.
No warm, long, light evenings to enjoy just being out of doors. June was lovely and early July but down hill all the way since then. And it has been feeling like Autumn ever since early August with leaves turning brown and falling for some time. Just like last year. Whereas the previous years the leaves stayed on the trees until the end of November. Is it just the passage of years, or were the seasons more clearly delineated when I was young?
Anyway I was standing out of doors on Friday waiting for the valuer to arrive, so that I could show her where to park her car. We had put ours in the field so that she could park on the hard standing in front of the barn. I was standing quite still drinking in the sun and smelling the breeze, watching the Rowan berries, thinking which trees needed a little pruning, looking at the shadows, as you do, when I saw a little nose peep out of a hole high up in a dry stone wall on the other side of the lane. This wall supports an earthy bank behind it: the head came out and the top of the shoulders and a weasel was revealed. 
Unfortunately I had no camera and dared not move or I knew it would disappear. (Picture courtesy of the-piedpiper.co.uk)
It proceeded to make its morning ablutions, presumably after a hard night’s hunting. It rubbed every inch of its head, face and ears on the stones surrounding its hole: sometimes turning onto its back to rub harder. I wonder if it had picked up some fleas or something similar from its prey. It looked glossy, healthy and young and it continued in this vein for at least five minutes while I stood like a statue, not even blinking if I could avoid it. You know how reclusive and fearful such creatures are.
While I watched, a beautiful Purple Emperor flew over my head, (I found him/her again later in the orchard) and several Small Coppers flew amongst the field flowers. Finally, the weasel finished its task and retired, presumably to sleep.
(Small Copper)
I left the Small coppers (and they really are small!) to their flitting flight amongst the thistles and hawkweeds and wandered in to the orchard to look for the Purple Emperor.
(Purple Emperor)
(picture from microscopy-uk.org.uk)
There he was visiting the white, bindweed trumpets, after which he rested on the brick path and spread his wings wide, soaking up the sunshine. He looked glossy and new and wonderful. The first I have seen this year.
Then a phone call, directions needed to be given to the valuer who was lost, and into the serious work of the day. But a lovely respite first thing, and a timely reminder of what is important, at least to me. Which is living somewhere with good neighbours down the road, but not too close, and where I can walk out of the front door, onto a lane or into a field or orchard and get into direct contact with the natural world.
stopping by woods 