Wowee, it has been such a hot and very dry summer here. There has been no proper rain for months now and we’ve just had a drought declared, despite having had a very wet winter. The countryside is currently looking completely parched and out in the woods the trees are showing signs of stress with a lot of leaf drop and branches dying back, it’s a desperately sad sight and I keep hoping for cloudy days with rain, but they just don’t arrive here in the south east corner of England. The woods are so very quiet too, completely devoid of the birdsong that chimed through the trees during springtime, perhaps it just takes too much energy to sing in this heat when you are a very small bird fighting to survive.
The birds are still there though and July is a great time to find feathers out in the woods as many birds moult after breeding. I regularly find 2 or 3 owl feathers on each of our woodland walks because by day the meandering pathways through the trees may be human-trodden byways, but when night falls they are owl-swooped flyways. To me these fallen feathers are marvels of nature, with beautifully intricate structures of interlocking fine filaments and each individual feather has it’s own unique markings. I treat them as woodland treasure and bring them home to admire them. The collection above were all found during July this year.
Out in the countryside there have been a lot of insects and butterflies this year, and judging by their prevalence the dry conditions must favour them. And back at home in the garden I’ve seen several hummingbird hawk moths, they’re so wonderful to watch but utterly impossible to photograph as they are never still but constantly darting around on the move. There have also been Jersey Tiger moths this year, these are so striking with their black and cream upper wings and in flight they flit with bright orange flashes from their underwings. Apparently they are quite rare and their range is restricted usually to the very south of England, many years go by without us seeing them here but this year we’ve had several in the garden.
Lacking from the garden for a while however has been lovely Katsue. After not seeing her for quite a few days we discovered that our new neighbours had blocked up the wildlife corridor between our gardens. This gap in the fence has been there for over 30 years and during this time it has allowed the passage of many hedgehogs, foxes, frogs and toads. I am so upset by this but the new neighbours have an elderly cat that they don’t want to wonder too far, and at the end of the day it is their right to not have a hole into their garden if they do not wish it. Sadly they have also decimated and destroyed the beautiful wildlife-friendly garden that existed next door to us for over 40 years, with all of the mature trees and shrubs cut down in favour of lawn. This garden was so carefully planned and loving tended by our original neighbours, who both grew old and sadly passed away. I so wish that more people valued and treasured the wildlife that we share our gardens with, sadly not many of the people who have recently moved in around here do.
Anyway, we have managed to solve the lack of access for Katsue by opening our front gate at dusk, and after a week of me patiently coaxing her she now independently comes through that way and then round to the back door to trip the security light so I know she’s there. I then carry her food out to the front garden, as I don’t want her stuck in our back garden when I shut the front gate at bedtime. So at least I still see her each evening, though she no longer has access to come and go as she pleases, and with her not being able to come during the day it’s harder to take pictures of her, though she has started coming into the kitchen while I chop her food. I am still sad though as it means there will be no access to our garden for other foxes in future, or for the hedgehogs, frogs and toads that we’ve enjoyed seeing so much over the years we’ve lived here.
There’s no knitting news this time I’m afraid, it’s simply been to hot here. But it’s also because we are having a little building work done on the house to create some much needed extra storage, which I’m excited about, and a downstairs loo, which I’m even more excited about, as 4 adults sharing one bathroom has made for some eventful times since Amy moved back with us. It’s chaos at the moment, but I know it will be worth it once everything is done. Anyway, instead of knitting I’ve been sorting my stash and planning projects for when cooler weather arrives. This collection of yarn is my most favourite sock yarns from The Knitting Shed, it pleased me mightily to see all these beautiful shades laid out on my bed and I’m looking forward to some autumn sock knitting and getting on with my new animal design.
Well, I hope you have a good August where you are, please waft a little rain my way if you have any to spare. See you at the end of the month, hopefully with some news of knitting and wetter weather, ’til then keep well and keep finding small joys wherever you can, J x
little cotton rabbits 
Awe Julie I’m so sorry to hear about your little wildlife corridor disappearing, it’s awful and frustrating when things like this happen and you can do nothing about it, poor Katsue must have wondered what on earth had happened … but at least you’ve solved the problem to a certain extent.
Yummy yarn … all that potential!! 🙂
V x
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I just finished a bunny. I’ve made many of them as a gift for a new baby. Every time I use your patterns I realize that yours are the gold standard of pattern writing and appreciate it SO much. I have made hundreds of toys over my knitting career (I’m 75) and wish it was law that all patterns were written following yours as a guide! Thanks for your creativity and diligence.
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Well, poo for the neighbors and the heat. Though I’d prefer to stay angry over the neighbors I will dwell on the idea that our dear little fox has found accommodation to still be able to visit
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I’m so sorry for the loss of the wildlife corridor for Katsue and all the other beautiful creatures that used it. But very happy to hear that she is using the front gate.
Are you able to devise another way for her to enter the garden anytime she wants to. Possibly a ramp up over a hedge if you have one or push a hole in a hedge?
I saw my first Jersey Tiger Moth this year on holiday in Suffolk. The colours and beauty are stunning.
I too live in the South East and can’t wait for rain. I save as much of the water I use in the kitchen to water some of the flowers so that the bees and insects still have some nectar.
Blue tits have started flitting about in the willow tree, it’s so good to see them back.Their water supply and bird bath is completely changed daily.
Take care. H.x
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Always a pleasure to receive your posts!!! Yes enjoy the small things in life 🌞💐🪴👒 🦊
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Thanks for another post and more of your beautiful pictures. Shame about the neighbours. We blessedly have lovely neighbours at the moment, though that could change at any moment, of course. I am watching with trepidation as there is talk about new construction at the edge of the city that will encroach on (supposedly) protected land and an avian flyway. Just not a priority for some people, I guess.
So glad you found a work-around for your fox. Perhaps you could build her a stile?
And would happily send you some nice Canadian rain, though ours is tainted with smoke from the forest fires up north.
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Drought is so hard on wildlife and gardens. It sounds as though you’re making a lovely addition to your home. We are also in the midst of a multi year drought and the wildfires in our state are devastating. I’ll be glad for autumn and a relief from the 105-109 degree Fahrenheit heat. We are in the midst of a huge landscaping project in our garden and building a new drive into our property. I’m hoping some of my plants survive. Love all of your lovely photos. You make beauty even on the midst of drought. Best, Bonnie
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Thank you, dear Julie, for yet another beautiful message.
I really admire your connection to nature and how you find a balance in what life sends your way.
This post’s photographs are beautiful! I live in a NYC apartment building with fifteen floors and about 12 apartments on each floor. I moved into my little apartment back in 1988 and have seen many changes arrive in this building (built in 1917 as a residential hotel) and the surrounding neighborhood.
It’s grand to have lots of public transportation nearby as well as beautiful Central Park. Yet…it is very much an urban neighborhood, very different from where you live. So…I have treasured the opportunity to share our neighborhood experiences over the years.
Lots of love to you and yours, Frances
>
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Hello, Thrilled to see that moth and hear about your work around for Katsue………….I’ll try to be polite but dang those neighbors! How interesting that she will come into the kitchen. Just Lovely.
No rain here either and we have some awful fires, not too close but we are full on smoke. ugh
Take care and be well.
Me
Thistle be a beautiful day!
While there is tea there is hope!
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Dear Julie.
I live in Cape Town and we are supposed to get rain in winter, but we hardly had any in July.. the least rain in the past 91 years.
I share your concern over wild life
There has been so much ‘development’ around us over the past few years. No concern for areas that had special plants that grew nowhere else in the world, wetlands that has been dried out and built on, we have teeny weeny frogs that migrate at a certain time of the year and for that they have to cross the highway.. so many casualties.
Enjoy sorting your stash of wool .. it always leave a happy feeling in one’s heart.
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Dear Julie,I love to hear from you & am always happy to see your name appear. Your photos always capture the magnificence of nature many of us take for granted especially those of us who live in big cities .We do, however, get the odd raccoon, possum and bunny and a multitude of squirrels scampering around our backyard. I’m partial to bunnies which is how I started knitting from your pattern and have moved on to knit many of the other little animals . As I’ve written to you before you are extremely gifted.
We too pray for much needed rain to help put out the raging fires that are destroying much of this beautiful land. The air quality has been ranked the worst in the world and we are forced to stay indoors I truly hope rain will come soon, I fear for the brave firefighters ,the families in danger and all the creatures living in the midst of the fires.
.In the meantime I count my Blessings and hope things will turn for the better for everyone. Looking forward to your next blog, keep well and enjoy the rest of your summer. [Fall is around the corner}
love to you and yours – eva
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Another masterpiece Julie!!
Alan has been searching each day for your update and eagerly waits for your next blog. So pleased to see that Katsue has returned!
Hope everything goes really well with the building work!!!
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