DERELICTION AND SOME NAUGHTY GOINGS-ON!

We had a good service at Church with a great sermon and some good worship songs followed by coffee, biscuits and chat, after which we decided to go out for a drive to look for some dereliction.

First of all, we went along the Shrivenham road towards Ashbury and then on to Lambourn, known in these parts as “The Valley of the Racehorse”.  

It was a beautiful afternoon, with plenty of sunshine, blue skies, a small amount of cloud, but a cooling breeze, so as we walked along the Ridgeway path, we just enjoyed what was all around us and each other’s company.

I took several shots as we walked along - and that fella, who often gets in my shots, was there again, bless him.  The corn is ripening well and the oil seed rape seeds are ready to be harvested;  it was lovely to be out in the countryside.

In my collage, at the top right, on a Hogweed flower, you will see some common Red Soldier beetles, so called because many species have blue, yellow, red or black colouring that look similar to the colours of regimental uniforms such as those worn by the British “Redcoat” soldiers.  The reddish colour also gives it the common name of “Bloodsucker” but in fact, they don’t do that.  However, they are doing in this shot what they do a lot in their short lives, according to Mr. Google, so they have another popular name in the UK - the “Hogweed  Bonking Beetle”.  As I said “Naughty Goings-on” and I learnt something new today, so every day is a school day on Blip!!

My next shot is the dereliction we found a bit further along the road - possibly a slurry tanker, but it hasn’t done any slurrying for many a long year by the looks of the grass etc all round it.

Whilst walking on the Ridgeway path, we also saw a beautiful little yellow flower and when I looked this up found out it was called Traveller’s Joy, or “Clematis Vitalba” - wild clematis - and again, something I never knew existed, in fact, I can’t ever remember seeing it before.  

We did see quite a few people walking the Ridgeway, but never saw them stop - so I wonder how much they miss by walking so fast along this ancient path?  I know I shouldn’t judge, but I think I would rather do what we did and ramble along much more slowly, looking at nature’s beauty.

“Wild flowers aren’t meant 
     to be cut and tamed,
          they’re meant to be 
               loved and admired.”
Anthony J. Hincks