Hawthorn walk

Late this afternoon I walked along the bottom of the valley, where the hedgerows are a profusion of hawthorn blossom. I'm not sure if the Nailbourne is still flowing, as although the path runs alongside it, its bed was hidden amongst long grass and cow parsley; May has seen the start of our now annual period of draught, with no rain at all for at least three weeks now, so it may well be dry. I should have liked to walk this way in the morning, when the long hawthorn hedge in the background would have shone white in the sun, but today started slowly after our long day yesterday, and it was five o'clock before I could get out on my own. It has been the sunniest and warmest day for a while, after a grey and chilly week, with cloudless blue sky, and the light was beautifully saturated. I found a patch of very pink hawthorn blossom (which I seem to have mislaid!) in the hedge close to home, and pretty pink-smudged briar roses, which are my extra, glowing in the shade.