July seemed to come around quickly this year, but then this year has been a somewhat unique year, due to Covid and much of our usual routines changing significantly.

 

I began the month by making the most of visiting the last of the Poppies, and came across a fantastic lilac Poppy field locally, which was vast and seemed to go on forever and ever. A fantastic site. I chose to visit in the evening, so could capture the Poppies at sunset too. As they are so delicate and pale, are not the easiest subject to photograph, showing contrast etc.

 

It was also the month for Lavender peaking, but sadly my favourite little location was closed this year - so I decided to visit another location further afield. Always lovely to see lots of Bees enjoying Lavender. I love culinary Lavender and often add it to baking. Can highly recommend Lavender shortbread.

 

It was a good month and season for flowers in the countryside - with plenty of wild Poppies scattered around the edges of crop fields, along with fields filled with Borage (blue flowers), Lucerne (pink flowers) and Phacelia (mauve flowers), and also areas with Chicory (bluey/mauve flowers). Then August will offer fields of cherry Sunflowers too.

 

I had even more encounters with Deer this month, usually during my early morning outings. And have been barked at a few times - usually, as they spot me, and then are warning the rest of the heard, or may have a fawn near by. Can be a little off putting at first, as their bark is pretty loud and can carry a long way. I never stop long and leave them too it, so they do not feel I am a threat.

 

Harvest started a little earlier this year. I am lucky to have a local Thatcher nearby, who grows wheat each year, and then harvests it traditionally by hand and creates Stooks (see below). This makes for a wonderful old fashioned scene (like from a Thomas Hardy book or film), and something I now look forwards to seeing each year.

 

The weather started to heat up again, so a trip to the coast just had to be done ...especially, as get a cooler breeze by the sea - in fact I made a couple of trips to the coast this month, and on the second occasion, I managed to find my own private, little section on a beach, well away from others. Was bliss paddling in the cool water, and then wave watching for a while - certainly good for the soul.