Back to Portholme

Pete and I returned to Portholme this morning to record the final ten quadrats. The Corsa refused to start, so we jumped into the ancient Galaxy which just keeps on going. It was misty when we started, and wading through the tall dew-soaked hay crop  meant that our trousers were soon drenched . The sun quickly burnt through the clouds, bringing the meadow to life and the horse-flies out!

We managed to find all the quadrats, though it wasn't easy as two marker canes had snapped at the base and one had fallen over, making them difficult to find. As we left we found a small colony of early marsh-orchids, rather overwhelmed by the tall grass. I hadn't taken the Canon, to minimise weight, but the little Panasonic coped really quite well. 

The rest of the day passed in a humdrum whirl, although there was a sad interlude when we found our fox dead at the bottom of the garden. It had been limping a couple of days ago, and we suspect that it had developed gangrene in its paw, which was black and swollen. 

The AA came and fixed the Corsa, and this evening I conveyed Pete and Chris to the station, as it's time for their fortnightly stay in Kent. Once they were safely delivered I came home and did a bit of weeding in the garden - the heavy scent of the honeysuckle perfuming the air, and the sound of the Cathedral bells and blackbird's song all around. A perfect summer evening.