Every August I take a week off around my birthday and generally head down to Somerset to spend some time with my family. It often works out well that my family work different shifts and times because there is always usually someone around to drag off an adventure with me. But on this particular Monday it ended up being just me and the pup in the morning so I decided to start my holiday week with a walk up high on the Quantock Hills.
It had rained, I mean really rained the night before so the ground was soggy underfoot and air was steamy and humid. I wasn’t entirely such, having seen the looming black clouds in the distance that I was going to make it through this foray and come out dry the other side but that didn’t deter me. I love summer rain. I think it’s the warmth of it. I just don’t seem to mind going back soggy-footed when it’s warm out.
The colours of the landscape up there were already looking very autumnal. Lots of sandy yellows in the adjoining hay fields and scorched bracken along with the berries and bright pops of heather and gorse flowers made for a lovely combination.
I had passed a family deeply immersed in the bracken picking blackberries, the kids triumphant in their efforts and as I looked closely I saw that there was a mass of berries everywhere around me. Obviously I could help but pick a few to nibble on as I passed through and let me tell you, these berries tasted goooooood! Eating blackberries can be a bit of a gamble as they often are a bit tasteless and watery but not these little pretties. These were flavour packed and yummy. Perhaps the downpour from the night before had helped plump them up, who knows.
I had passed a family deeply immersed in the bracken picking blackberries, the kids triumphant in their efforts and as I looked closely I saw that there was a mass of berries everywhere around me. Obviously I could help but pick a few to nibble on as I passed through and let me tell you, these berries tasted goooooood! Eating blackberries can be a bit of a gamble as they often are a bit tasteless and watery but not these little pretties. These were flavour packed and yummy. Perhaps the downpour from the night before had helped plump them up, who knows.
There was something utterly delightful about knowing that whilst most of the world is enveloped in their busy Monday morning that instead I was enjoying a spot of solitude and peace away from all the mayhem going on in the town below. It certainly was a good way to begin my week.
