A Walk in the Countryside ...

Hello there fellow Bloggers! Thanks for your comments on my last post! When I had collected KP and her friend from school a few days ago we had spotted some very young foals in one of the fields nearby. They had been in a big field but they were all standing near the gate to the field which is how we came to see them. Yesterday, I went back there with my camera - they were still there but nowhere near the gate, they were right slap bang in the middle of the field. I stayed admiring them for a long time, hoping that they would come nearer but they didn't. Most of the time the foals were lying down in the grass - their legs not quite steady to hold them upright for long periods of time but, I did manage to get this photo when four out of the five foals stood up all at once.

When we were admiring the foals the dogs were safely away in the car, so as not to frighten them. After admiring the foals we drove a short distance away to some fields where we take the dogs for their walk or should I say, for their run in long grass!

From the fields we could see this wonderful home.

We came across many thistles - many with their flowers unopened but also many that were.

There were a great many butterflies too but they were too busy fluttering about to stop and let a photo be taken.

So I looked around instead for something that was far more likely to stay still and, I didn't have to look for long. There were literally hundreds and hundreds of snails. They were attached to stinging nettles!

And even to blades of grass!

And flowerheads!

These snails had better looking shells than the tens which seem to be munching their way through some of the plants in our garden at the moment.

I do love to be in the countryside. So many footpaths - we didn't come across a single soul. We had this magical place to ourselves.

A little voice called over "Mum, I think there's some butterflies here having sexual relations!"

KP has just had Sex Education lessons at school.

We crept over to where KP was and the butterflies flew up and perched on the OH's thumb and carried on with their sexual activity!

Male butterflies find females by sight, and use chemicals called pheromones at close range. If the female accepts the male, they couple end to end and may go on a short courtship flight. They may remain coupled for an hour or more, sometimes overnight. The male passes a sperm packet called a spermatorphore to the female. The sperm then fertilize each egg as it passes down the female's egg-laying tube.

We sat a while on some logs and watched the tens of butterflies that were flying around - some ever so pretty but they wouldn't stay still!

We walked back to the car passing this stunning home.

When we got home Charlie, our dachshund, had to have a bath as he had once more found some fox poo to roll in! No matter how hard you try to keep your eye on him, he still manages to give us the slip and engage in this disgusting habit!

It was so sunny yesterday and today we have seen nothing but rain from just before lunch-time. It is all rather depressing as due to my being ill we hadn't booked a holiday as we normally would earlier in the year and I am loathe to spend a lot of money on a last minute cottage when all its going to do is rain!

Until next time,

June.