Summertime

I seem to remember words to a song going like this,’Summertime, and the living is easy’. I suppose that living is easier in the summer and there is so much to enjoy. I love the blue skies and the sun shining but I don’t like it too hot. The garden is full of different insects. The bees are bussing around the cotoneaster hedge and in the many other flowers.

The young birds are learning to fly and to use the bird feeder. It can be amusing to watch them as they find a way to perch on the feeder. There are so many of them this year. There must have been at least 3 different nests in my hedge as the broods of fledglings arrive in fours and fives.

I already have a lot of flowers in bloom and many more to come as summer progresses. I can see ladybirds in plenty and other flying insects. Soon there may be damselflies and dragonflies as one of my neighbours has a pond.

The hedge is alive with the noise of the birds and insects. It is also very green. One of the things I love about this time of the year is how green everything is, so alive.

But now the Summer Solstice has passed the night is creeping slowly over the day, making each day that little bit shorter. Years ago I wrote a poem for the Solstice. Here it is now;

Solstice Prayer
It is the time of the longest day
When the Sun is at the height of its power
And as the Sun watches over us and feeds us all
So we feed our Inner Fire.
May the power of the One unite us all
Bringing hope and peace to our planet;
May the Ancient Wisdom, the Eternal Truth,
Be warmed by the Sun this day
Let us join together in peace and love,
Let the Sun shine within our hearts,
Let the Child of Light guide us on our way,
As our world is filled with peace and love.

The arrival of Summer

I am being hopeful that summer has now arrived. It is much warmer and the sun is shining but for how long? However what really gives me so much joy and great pleasure is the amount of green I can see. There are so many trees around me, not all the same as some have yet to wear their full summer clothes, but some are hawthorn and the scent is amazing.

Each day I try to walk for at least a mile going around the different roads so I can see different views. It is hilly here so you can see quite a distance from certain places. Of course, the trees obscure some views now but I love to look at the trees. Yesterday I walked along a road with many different trees in gardens and some beautiful flowers too. It is so colourful, rainbow colours of every hue and so beautiful to see.

One day in the week I spent an hour just sitting and contemplating in a small area of park. I watched the ducklings move around from one side of the pond to the other and saw them being shooed away by their parents who were trying to help them to become independent. It was peaceful, calm and had this sense of renewal too. I am going to try to visit this place at least once a week.

Also nearby is a small patch of wildflower ground amongst some trees. This week the cow parsley is taking over so I shall keep an eye out for the butterflies that love this plant. So much to see, so much to enjoy. What a wonderful life!