Hello, thank you for calling in. Last week was quite exciting, well, perhaps not exciting in itself, but it held the promise of something exciting, which made it feel exciting, if you know what I mean; maps were purchased, a holiday planning meeting was held and a shopping list was compiled. Amidst all of this I ticked something off my summer list and yesterday I managed to tick off another.
4. Go to the Long Mynd to see the heather
"Mynydd" is the Welsh word for "mountain" and the Long Mynd is a high heathland and moorland plateau about seven miles long in the South Shropshire Hills which, for a couple of weeks every summer when the heather is in full bloom, is a riot of pink. (I've just read a number of articles which refer to it as purple but I disagree, I think it's pink, although it's a colour I usually call "heather"!) We often go up there at the end of the summer after it's gone over and I always say to the Best Beloved, "Oh, we've missed the heather," so this year, going up there while the heather was actually blooming was on my Summer List. Of course, our unusual summer weather has taken its toll and what we actually saw was not a riot of pink heather but muted patches of it among many brown ones on the parched ground.
We carried on and eventually found the "riot" I was hoping for along with a bonus...ponies, with a foal!!!!! Now, gentle reader, these are not the photos I was hoping for as the sun was hiding behind the clouds, the wind was blowing, the ponies were shy and I do wonder if we might have been a week too early, but I definitely went up the Long Mynd and I definitely saw an abundance of heather in flower.
5. Go To A Beach
To be honest, this would be on my list at any time of year but a visit in summertime is extra special. The sand was golden, the sky was blue and the sea was sparkling but best of all, the children and grandchild came too. Memories were made and while Tom Kitten can confirm that sand really doesn't taste very nice, I can confirm that key lime pie ice cream really does.
So with sixteen things on the summer list that's five down, eleven to go!
See you soon.
Love, Mrs Tiggywinkle x
Ah, how I miss the sight of heather moorland...glad you managed to see the heather in flower and are enjoying your summer. Good luck with the rest of your list. Marie x
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie. This may be a daft question but are there heather moors in Canada? x
DeleteYou're making great progress on your list. The beach - those long stretches of sand are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteAren't they just? We couldn't understand why there were so few people there on such a glorious day. The sea was warm, too. x
DeleteWay to tackle and enjoy ticking off your list. For some reason that ice cream is calling to me. Sea breezes would be great right about now, too.
ReplyDeleteThe temperature was just perfect for me, Ellen. Hot enough to lie on the beach and read but not too hot at all. x
DeleteThere's nothing nicer than sitting on a mountain in the Heather watching the shadows move about and Sun light up different areas. x
ReplyDeleteI have fond memories of a day in Wales when The Teacher was a very small girl and she absolutely loved lying down on the pillows of heather, it was so springy and comfortable. Her grandfather said that she was "heatherbedding". x
DeleteWell done, the heather is certainly a wonderful sight. The ponies must have been an amazing bonus.
ReplyDeleteThey were, I love ponies! Initially, all I could see of the foal was two little ears poking up above the heather because he was sitting down so I had to go and investigate (carefully). x
DeleteWere the gliders out and about above the Long Myndd? If they were did you do what we always do and duck your head as they flew over ☺☺ some of them do come in a bit low at times xx
ReplyDeleteThey were indeed. We do that too! x
DeleteTwo totally different landscapes and both very beautiful. Glad you were able to tick another two visits off your Summer list:)
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of that Rosie but you are right, now that you've mentioned it I really like the comparison of the two landscapes. x
DeleteThese photos are amazing! I love the wildlife of the flowers, and the sheep frolicking around in the fields. Thanks for the share, have a fantastic rest of your week. Keep up the posts.
ReplyDeleteWorld of Animals
Thank you! x
DeleteHOW gorgeous are these photos! And I have been thinking very much about an ice cream that I had in Eastbourne from 4 years ago, the ice cream was HONEYCOMB and we do NOT have that here, I can tell you! It was wonderful! xx
ReplyDeleteI LOVE honeycomb ice-cream and in fact, my son-in-law had that this time! The little kiosk sold about twenty different flavours, my daughter had shortbread ice-cream and my husband had blackberry and apple flavour, I've never seen so much choice outside a proper ice-cream parlour. x
Delete