Monday 18 July 2011

My daily walk with Nella..........

My daily walk with Nella is something I really look forward to.
I love to see the changing landscape as one season meets another.
Most of the land is used for grazing....sheep and cattle.
The meadow will soon be cut and stored for winter feed.    I watched the meadow browns flit from grass to grass.
Hops grow in the hedgerow.   This is one of the host plants for the Comma butterfly.   They do well here.
During the winter months this area partially floods, and turns into a fairly large lake.
Eventually I reach the river.    The water lily are in bloom.   It is fairly shallow this year due to the dry Spring.
The water is clear...........I sometimes see the heron on this stretch.
The verges are left until September.     They are full of wildflowers which is a wonderful food source for insects and birds.  

Life changes, we change.    I hope with all my heart that this area never changes, that it will always be protected.     We need wide open spaces, places where we can breath and feel in touch with Mother Nature.     Time to stand and take in all that surrounds us..........

17 comments:

  1. Lucky Nella that gets to walk about this countryside. Lucky you that you have such a sweet companion to walk with you. I have to take a drive to get out to where it would look anything like this. Enjoy it while you can.

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  2. Thank you for taking me on your walk with Nella today. I feel so very refreshed. I needed your meadow this afternoon.
    I too hope your wild areas stay wild. We do need places that birds, butterflies, thistles and grasses can be free.
    I need the wild places too. I need the grasses and the clovers. I need the wind. A wonderful road you walk.
    Namaste,
    Sherry

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  3. HI Cheryl...Lovely walk with you and Nella...
    I love to see the lay of the land and what grows there and what it is used for and such!! It makes it as if I know you better!!
    Thanks for sharing...
    ♥ Grace

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  4. You have some beautiful shots, Cheryl. The countryside looks so clean and fresh. I love wildflowers as you know and hope the meadow stays that way. Thank you for taking us on your walk. Hope Nella enjoyed it too!

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  5. Hi Lisa,

    Living here, for me, is a dream. I truly, never believed, I live in the countryside. I have Mr P to thank for that, wonderful man that he is.
    I do count my blessings.

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  6. Dear Sherry,

    I never tire of my walk along the lanes. Nella is a great companion, I love my little dog.
    I so love to watch the birds, butterflies and somtimes I may just see the secretive weasel.

    I count my blessings every day.....this is one of them.

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  7. Indeed Grace, I have learnt a lot from my daily walks with Nella. Experience is the greatest teacher of all :)

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  8. Hi Wendy,
    Nella loves her walk...she really looks forward to it.
    They say nothings stays the same.........sometimes it is so much better when it does.

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  9. What a lovely place to walk with Nella! I'm sure she enjoys this as well. Poor Sophie doesn't get such frequent walks--because of the busy road next to us, I can't walk her very far, so once in awhile we jump in the car and go to the park or the forest preserve, which she loves.

    I was just noticing all the wildflowers and clover along the roadside driving home from the Idea Garden this morning. I'm so happy farmers and the road workers are leaving more of the roadsides in their natural state and not constantly mowing them.

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  10. No wonder you count your blessings, Cheryl and lucky Nella to have this landscape for stretching the legs. Surpising that waterlilies grow in streams - must be very gently flowing. Thanks for the wistful wanderings

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  11. Well my dear Rose,
    Sophie has such a lovely area to run, I would not think she would need to walk.

    It is joy to see roadside verges left to do their own thing.....long may it last Rose

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  12. Hi Laura,

    There are many water lilies in the River Beult.
    It surprised me the first time I saw them. I suppose like everything I take them for granted now.

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  13. Hi Cheryl,

    It's great to see you have such abundant hedgerows and verges around you. I have heard that the government is offering quite a few subsidies for farmers who are prepared to leave more spaces for wildlife. I do hope that more and more of them opt to consider it. It's incredible the increase in bio-diversity that occurs from leaving areas like the ones you show.
    Thanks for taking us on the walk, I felt almost there with you. :) Bless Nella, it's so special to have such great companions in life.

    xxx

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  14. Hi Lucinda

    The hedgerows are wonderful. Many are left wild now....i like that, plenty of opportunity for birds to nest and abundant produce for those of us who collect berries etc. I agree lets hope the farmers will meet us halfway....that way we all benefit.

    Nella is my constant companion and a lovely girl. I do not know what I would do without her....

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  15. Hi Cheryl,
    That meadow scene is so peaceful. My dream is to someday have a meadow down on our farm. We once had one, but during the 1970s my dad decided to turn it into farmland. Living in the always busy city makes you appreciate a hay meadow. David/ Tropical Texana/ Houston :-)
    NICE post

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  16. HI David,

    I do so hope that one day you fulfill your dream.
    Meadow land is so peaceful....just the sounds of the insects and bird in flight above.....

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  17. What a lovely walk for Nella. Ollie would have been straight in that river :}

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