High Summer in the Downs

After emptying the fifteenth can of water onto the vegetable garden at the end of a hot day, I straightened my back, looked up from the wilting squashes, and saw the horses looking over the fence of their paddock and the cows in a group below the skyline. The landscape, vivid green just a few weeks ago, is now increasingly yellow and brown as wheat ripens and grass dries. The evening air was still very warm, but starting to feel a little cooler than the air inside the house - time to open windows.