Time flying by

I honestly don't know where the last few weeks have gone. Thankfully, they've been filled with a lot of beautiful walks.

The last weekend in May was our Mum's 'big birthday' so we had a lovely walk along the coast down at Milford-on-Sea (New Forest coast), with masses of pink thrift and birds foot trefoil in among the shingle. Then the next day we walked on Martin Down, with great views of singing yellowhammers and skylarks, as well as carpets of flowers including horseshoe vetch and common spotted orchids.

In a shameless bid to extend her birthday celebrations, the following weekend we all headed to Devon - the weather chose this particular occasion to break from the glorious sunshine and instead our walk on Dartmoor on Saturday was adjusted to take into account a massive rainstorm. Eventually, it did stop and we managed a good long walk on the moor, crossing streams, listening to skylarks, and marvelling at the contorted forms of the scrub and trees. It contrasted with the walk before lunch where the sunshine held out a beautiful - if steep - walk up an old track, lined with ferns and foxgloves.

On the way back, we called in at Cerne Abbas in Dorset, for a quick walk and delicious pub lunch. We thought we could walk to see the famous chalk Giant, but alas you are better off viewing from a distance as the curvature of the hill obscures him. For those of you not aware of him, well, let's just say he's very pleased with himself! The walk did encounter numerous wildflowers including orchids growing in the margin of an arable field - how they're holding on I don't know!

Last weekend plans I had fell through, so instead, on the Saturday a bunch of us met for a walk around the Cherhill White Horse (near Calne, north of Devizes). Lovely views if this spectacular Wiltshire downloads, with swathes of wildflowers, including wild thyme, rock rose, birds foot trefoil and more common spotted orchids.

Finally, on the Sunday we went for a quick potter around Grovely Wood. Phew - see what I mean?!