A summer walk



Whatever the time of year, there's some lovely walks around our village....no matter what the weather or the season, there's always something new to see, to smell and to hear....

 

Boo is always up for a walk....come rain come shine....even when it's freezing cold, she'll carry on regardless. Yesterday though, for the first time ever, after half an hour she was practically begging me to walk homewards....at 31 degrees, it was too darned hot.

 

We walked down the lane...and immediately met the lovely  new neighbours who were relaxing in their garden which lies sideways to the road. Over the old brick waist high wall, we shook hands, exchanged pleasantries , Boo was admired, and we walked on.

 

On the way down to the church, I met my friend, who for once, wasn't smiling.Roxy their  Staffie had been injured, and Jessie , their son's Staffie had been killed on Friday morning by a car. Boo sat patiently as I heard what happened, while we hugged  and had tears in our eyes.

 

I took Boo up the track behind the church, and stopped under the shade of a huge tree to take this photo and lean on the gate and to think of Jessie.



 

 

 

She'd  been in our garden playing with Boo on Thursday night...tearing around , chasing each other hither and thither before collapsing in a heap together. Jessie was such a lovely natured, playful dog ...I'd always thought if she'd been a girl she'd have worn pigtails and had freckles...

 

 I wiped my eyes as Boo and I carried on along the dusty track.

 



It's normally very quiet along the bridle path, but all of a sudden a car came past...with Sue, two boys and two terriers from the next village. They were the advance posse for a large gathering who were going to camp in one of the fields overnight.

We started to walk back to the village , taking a left along a track where I 'll be collecting sloes in the autumn. For gin, obviously.....

This track is usually muddy, thick heavy gloopy mud that can almost pull you over, but I've never seen it as dry as this before.

Boo liked this new look track...and kept darting in and out of the shade...

I could still hear the newly shorn sheep (who seemed slightly surprised by their sudden lack of  wool)as I smelt these white roses and lavender  - what is it about intense heat which enhances the scents of so many flowers? Closing my eyes I could have been in a sun baked Provence , inhaling the soporific and soothing lavender..

 

By this time though, Boo and I felt the walk had been long enough....we were both hot, so we skipped through the church , by the Old Vicarage ,hearing the splash  of  water in the swimming pool the other side of the wall. It was so nice to hear the chatter and sounds of people enjoying themselves in the sunshine....

By now , Boo was panting ..we hotfooted home, Boo lapped up a huge bowl of water, and I threw a bucket of cold water over my head and feet ,suddenly feeling so much cooler....but refusing to look in a mirror in case I frightened myself.

It was time for me to read  a book in the shade of our ash tree , hoping for the faintest whisper of a breeze

and Boo sat quietly before drifting off into a deep sleep.

Today's song is "Summer Breeze" -I've always loved this song...a soundtrack to so many of my summers , and for years I'd assumed that the Isley Brothers had written it. It was the only version I knew, and I still adore it..but these days I also like the original, written by Seals and Croft - and on some days, this is the version that I want to hear