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Saturday 19 May 2018

Holme Wold Farm - A Royal Picture?


The town was very quiet this morning. Unusually, several stalls were empty in the colourful Saturday Market, all very strange.I wondered why until someone reminded me of a wedding taking place. I visited Carluccio's for a coffee and a catch up with a friend and then returned home. On the radio ...... THE WEDDING commentary ! So, I gave in and put the television on, vows were being exchanged, then some wonderful singing from the choir followed by the excellent cello playing of Sheku Kanneh-Mason. I found that I was actually enjoying it all. Well all the best to them for a happy future.

It was a lovely sunny day, off I went, into the South Dalton area again. The cow parsley in the hedges is at its peak. Wonderful. Hawthorne hedges, bridesmaids bouquets, is also gloriously covered in flowers, May blossom. Trails of beautiful white flowers, flowing from the parent plant exude a heavy fragrance, which on passing lifts the spirits. The hedgerows continue to look wonderful, bluebells here and there, slashes of crimson pink campion, in particular, and some subtle wild flowers whose identity eludes me. I parked up in the shade of a dense copse, and made sure George was comfortable before setting up. This view is looking towards Holme Wold Farm. Most of the farm is hidden by the surrounding trees. As I painted the soft chirruping noises of foraging partridges could be heard as they approached me via the tractor 'runways'. On seeing me they exploding into flight and cruised off into the distance. Otherwise the day, was very quiet. Ethereal. A distant call, a mewing sound, alerted me that there was a buzzard, or was it a red kite, above me. It remained invisible until closer, on broad wings it soared past effortlessly, scouring the land for food. Orange tipped butterflies are still to be seen and are now joined by small blues. I also spotted a lone plover fly past. Again, I felt rather sad, as, as a young boy I would see huge flocks, so I adjourned to the Pipe and Glass for a coffee.

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