Words that jangle in your head
Why did summer go so quickly?
Was it something that you said?
That particular verse from ‘Windmills of your mind’ kept buzzing around as Annie and I took an early evening stroll the other day. Winter seemed to go on forever this time and then we had weeks of rain and windy days, Summer has barely arrived and in my area we have a hose pipe ban coming soon, mainly so the profligate water wasters of the South and London in particular can continue to squander it, but that’s another story.
Most grass is now brown and withered and many crops are suffering from a lack of rain, to my mind the season has speeded up and I can feel like it is Autumn already, hence “Why did summer go so quickly?”
We have reached that point in the year when all that nature had to offer has been crammed into every available niche with some places looking impenetrable, bracken vying with nettles, brambles and thistles to come out on top.
Many trees have already set their seeds and I have never seen so many nuts on the Beech trees as there are this year, the branches are weighed down with clusters of hard outer shells covered in barbs, soon to burst open and shower the ground beneath with a brown mat of triangular shaped nuts in glossy casings as hard as fingernails.
Sycamore and Ash trees with clusters of ‘keys’ ready to turn brown and twirl away from their parents in a downwards spiralling flight. Both trees employ the same parachute tactics for seed dispersal with the Ash launching it's off springs as solo travellers in the wind whilst the Sycamore sends out twins joined at the hip to keep each other company.
My favourite though has to be the Lime tree, some types grow tall while others remain as smaller trees, both have fine leaves that will shimmer with the slightest breeze even on the hottest of days. When they set their seeds which look like little green beads they also develop a leaf like bract that dries out to become a parachute to aid dispersal. But at this time of year they are ‘Lime Green’ a lovely delicate colour that makes the tree stand out as if it is having a second flush of new leaves. Lime trees are one of our oldest deciduous trees and often indicate more ancient woodlands, they used to be coppiced for their straight poles and often referred to by their country name of ‘Linden Tree’.
The wind, with a sway and rustle,
Toss'd the leaves of the linden tree,
And, deep in the silvery shadow,
A treasure was shown to me.
A little brown nest, soft laden,
Wee pearlies, one, two, three;
But oh! the eyes of the watcher
That perch'd on the linden tree!
Little heart! in the flowery summer,
Thy nestlings shall sing to me;
Fold thy wings in the leafy shadow,
Love hallows the linden tree!
Hawthorns are already covered in berries and the Blackberry bushes full of potential fruit, much of it still green, but here and there ripe fruit can be seen, enough to make a small pie or crumble. Red veins are spreading through the hanging grape like clusters on the Elder bushes, a sure sign that they will soon be ripening. The only thing lacking is some rain to plump up all this bounty of seeds and fruit, but at present this looks unlikely, not that I am complaining.
As I said many crops are suffering and I noticed that in this field the Clover that would usually still be growing has already been mown and turned into large cylinders ready for storage, soon they will be wrapped in plastic and taken away. But for now they look like abandoned tanks strewn in the battlefield and I could not resist putting Annie on the top of one “I’m the king of the castle, you’re the dirty rascal”.
Charged now but not going that direction for a few days so will put it back in the car & try again.
