Musk-mallow and friends

It was good to get back to fieldwork after an enforced break - and to one of my favourite sites, an extensive area of brownfield land next to the east coast main line. When we visited in May much of it was brown and withered after two months with no effective rainfall. Today it was a riot of colour, with sweeps of Viper's Bugloss and Bird's-foot-trefoil providing a foil for the sugar-pink flowers of Musk-mallow. 

We had a delicious evening meal, which everyone in the family helped prepare - lamb keema pasties with a parsley and pomegranate salsa, accompanied by salads.  A couple of small Pimm's in the garden made a relaxing end to a rather difficult week. We then left the younger generation to some more serious celebrations round the fire pit which lasted into the small hours - the first time the wider group of friends have been together for many months.