Cyn's Nature Notes: Along the A10

Thursday 24 June 2010

Along the A10

To Papworth for brain scan.

Hedgerows are so green. Last year’s teasels dark brown stand giant-like on the tall daisy-filled verges. Passed two stretches of bright red poppies and long stretches of lime green euphorbias. Across a field I caught a glimpse of the river, with tall rose bay willow herb growing along side. On the roadside verge I have seen large growths of bright yellow tom thumb and delicate lavender coloured vetch, I also spied one blue lupin plant, I’m looking forward to the next few years when hopefully it will have seeded and spawned many offspring. I think they will make a good addition to the verges. Sorrel has grown tall and reddish-brown patches of it stand out amongst the wild flowers.

We passed again the field full of bright red poppies, this time at 8am, there was a lady standing right in the middle of it, her bicycle dropped on the side and her, with her hands on her hips, just standing and looking around at the wondrous sight.

There is a roundabout on the A10 near the A120 and the predominant color on the verges leading to the roundabout is a strong purple from the thistle-like plant growing there.

Mallows, poppies, and umbellifers embellish the next stretch of road. Elders grow thickly here and are in full creamy white flower, following is a stretch made beautiful by the huge bushes of dog and field roses, with their graceful hanging branches, thickly adorned by blossoms from white through palest pink to darkest pink – so beautiful.

We passed a breathtaking field of red poppies and brightest yellow rape, growing side by side in large loose stripes of red and yellow – breathtaking.

How lucky we are to live in England and to have all of this beauty freely available for us to enjoy. The lush green background naturally enhances the foreground. More hedgerows adorned by even more wild roses.

Toward Royston, yellow rape has escaped the confines of the fields and now brightens the verges, together with white campion this we used to call milkmaids when I was a child.

Past Basingbourne-cum-Kneesworth is a very pretty stretch of verge it has red poppies, white campion, daisies and umbellifers, and contrasting beautifully blue geraniums.

Toward Papworth we passed ditches with fluffy seed-covered bulrushes reaching upward and waiting for a brisk breeze to spread their seeds.

Homeward bound.

A sober journey – the tumor is larger than two and a half centimeters not yet three and is stage 1b, but they think it has spread into the lymph glands.

I feel a great weight of sadness within me at the thought that I might not beat this cancer, so much in life I wanted to do, and I fear it is too late. I must adapt to this and be strong, for Mike, Rick, John and Angie. I think I shall miss the little girls growing up and any children Rick may have. I have already been so lucky: I have never lost a living child and I have been so close to my own dear children and to dear Rick, also to my darling little granddaughters.

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About this Blog

When we moved to our present home in December 1987, I was very ill and bedridden. My garden was a life-saver, although it was very different then. The first thing I did was to put up bird-feeders, and long hours were spent lying indoors in a recliner. This was when I discovered many things. Do you know the underside of every blue tit’s tail is differently marked? Gradually, over the years, the garden changed. We put in shrubs and plants that would not only enhance the garden, but would also be good for wildlife. The first rabbit we saw was so joyful for us. The deer eat the flowers, prune the apple trees, eat the marrow, and are wonderful to watch. Foxes have been a major part of our wildlife. We have fed them each night for more than 20 years. They are such a delight, especially in late summer and early autumn when there are youngsters. They behave like puppies and are great fun to watch.

I love all wildlife: the mason bees that nest in the brickwork of the bungalow, the hornets that last year made their home in the roof above our bedroom, the bees currently nesting in the roof above the bathroom. On a hot evening, if you stand quietly in the bathroom, you can hear this amazing sound: it is very rhythmic and reminds me of the waves at the seaside. It is made by the beating of the bees’ wings as they fan their nest to keep the temperature at the right level -- how many people have heard that sound? I feel so privileged.

Obviously, I feed the birds. When I open the window in the morning I call “Come on Bobby and Blackie”, and one followed swiftly by the other they fly immediately to the bird table. Each morning, on rising, I make my way to the kitchen and find the squirrels already sitting on the window ledge waiting to be fed. Winter brings the moorhens and spring time the mallards. Our pond is a poor effort from a human point of view, but wild creatures see it differently. On summer days, the grass snakes spend long hours in the pond: eating the fish, froglets, toadlings, newts, and any other living creature they can swallow. Although I hate to see the pond emptied this way, I do enjoy the snakes and feel they are an important part of the balance of nature in the garden. Watching a dragonfly nymph climbing out of the pond, up a plant stalk, and then over the next few hours gradually transforming into a beautiful dragonfly -- these are contented hours well spent.

It has been my pleasure to write and publish a nature column each month. I am always delighted to hear how much pleasure this brings to my readers. I have often been asked if I have written a book, so I am making more of my writings and photography available through this web site and blog.