Diary Entry
At the end of July the swifts will be flying back to South Africa. I have noticed this summer that there have been various nests of swifts in the church just up the road from where I live, St John’s Church near the fire station, and at the Elton Centre.
They use church buildings to nest in and I have seen them from time to time fly around in the air searching for insects and making their screeching noise.
The first blackberries are ripe and ready to pick. I noticed there were some ripe blackberries on some of the bushes going up to the Elton Center and the Stourbridge Town bus station.
The Lime Flowers are over now and all the lime trees are shedding their limeflower cases that were on them.
Wimbledon tennis is over for another year.
It is starting to get darker slightly earlier now in the evenings, they are starting to draw in a little.
The buddleia is out in flower and the Golden Rod is out in full bloom. Hollyhocks are out. Nasturtiums are in flower and Jasmine.
Most people usually go off on their summer holidays at this time of year when the children are broken up from school.
The corn is ripening in the fields. Any time now the Combines will be working in the fields to get the harvest in.
People will be at the seaside. Families with their children making sandcastles, swimming and paddling in the sea, collecting shells, surfing, walking and picking blackberries.
I always treasure my happiest memories spent on the North Norfolk coast. They are most happy memories.
July is drawing to a close after one of the hottest July’s this country has ever had. We may have to get used to the higher temperatures.
Now we are getting some much needed rain to nourish the dry soil which has wanted rain for so many weeks.
Whatever people are doing, and some people might be going away on holidays with family, I hope they will get a nice rest and change of scenery before the busy programme starts up again in September. Chilling out and getting ready for the busy Autumn programme.
In September the Swallows and House Martins line up on the telegraph wires ready for their long flight back to South Africa. The Swifts will have already left by then.
I hope everyone will enjoy their summer break, whatever it is they are doing or wherever they are going, whether it is going to B&B for a week somewhere or on a coach trip.
On the beaches at this time of year, wading birds can be seen at low tide, the Oyster Catcher, Terns, Ringed Plovers, Curlews, Sandpipers.
A good project for people to do in the summer holidays is to make a pressed flower book with as many different wild flowers that they can find.
Go out on a nature ramble and collect them.
It is good to collect shells, different pebbles and bird watching on holidays. Enjoying nature and going out in the fresh air getting some exercise.
If you paint and draw, landscape painting is a good thing to do in the summer getaway, and taking a camera is a good idea too.
My father was a landscape artist. Some of his best work was done in Norfolk. He could relax and just go off in his car on an afternoon and do a landscape. He did some lovely ones of Glandford Mill, beach scenes at Hunstanton, Blakeney Harbour, different churches in North Norfolk. He could simply forget about all the responsibilities back home and just go off and paint. A lovely thing to go and do when you are on holiday.
Enjoy your summer everyone,
Christina
