DID I HAVE A WALK OR A HIKE???

(scroll down for Green Thumb Sunday post)

I tried to convince myself that it was going to stop raining yesterday...and after going stir crazy all morning and seeing a break in the clouds decided to go for a walk. I haven't been to our Country Park for a few years (as it would have been too far and too wheelchair unfriendly to have been able to take Mick) but thought I'd take my chances. So off I set camera and brolley at the ready. It's quite a long walk to get there; it took me about half an hour...it started to spit with rain but was so warm! As soon as I entered the park I thought "I'm going to get some great photos here. There are bound to be loads of butterflies and insects maybe even some non camera shy birds!"
Then it happened...the heavens opened.....it poured and poured and poured. I pushed on undaunted...I'd not walked this far to go straight back home....but it was so wet that I had to be careful not to get my camera soaked and wildlife was pretty scarce. Luckily there were plenty of trees to shelter under..... I loved the shape of this one; I bet it's been there a few years!Sadly it had to look down on the remains of a less savoury pass-timeThis one looked rather precarious...............I spotted quite a few bat boxes...can you see what's written on this one....a click on it should make the photo larger......(I know this sometimes doesn't work; don't ask me why...it says "Welcome please come in!!! Bats only")after a while the torrential rain eased to a shower so I pushed on...what a surprise to see a field that was a sea of blue....at first i thought it must be linseed as farmers often sow that...but as I got closer I realised it was Cranesbill Geraniums!There were still hardly any butterflies to be seen...they were probably more sensible than me and decided NOT to come out in bad weather...I did manage to "capture" a couple...shielding my camera so that I wouldn't get it wet......there is one in this photo......but I couldn't get a sideways angle on it due to the undergrowthI did spot this funnel shaped spider's web......the owner was safely tucked inside.................the rain had started to come down heavily again and I decided I may as well make my way home and leave my exploring for a sunnier day. I decided to try a different route home...I always find it boring walking the same way back from somewhere......so decided to follow this road.....I hadn't a clue where it led to exactly but figured the old adage "All roads lead to Cornard" was true.......so I walked and walked and walked.......the rain continued to pelt down but it was so humid and lovely and peaceful...lots of birdsong and I could even hear a Woodpecker at work.....couldn't actually see one though so no bird photos.....except of this solitary Pigeon who looked down on me from a telegraph wire....I didn't see a single person and no cars either......far from the maddening crowd!...mind you I think this horse wondered who the "mad" person was cheerily walking in pouring rain!I finally came out onto the Bures road....though wasn't certain how far down it I was. When I reached this sign........I realised that at some point I must have crossed the border from Suffolk to Essex.....by now I'd been walking for almost 2 hours and if I'd had company could have been tempted to call in The Brook ..............
much of the Bures Road has no pavement but luckily for me since this new housing estate has been built a lot of new pavements have been put in...much safer for walkers.......

By the time I got home I was starving...that's when I'm grateful that I'm growing some lettuce...instant fresh food!...I'm growing 4 different types as the moment; webbs wonderful, little gem, lolla rosa and iceberg so there's always fresh tasty leaves to pick...........