Reef Beach

Reef Beach is not far from here. I felt a lot better this morning, if not my fully sparking self, so I decided to go there. I had heard that the machair is special there.

It’s been an overcast day, quite warm but grey. That was good for photographing wild flowers. I was amazed to see the early marsh orchids in the dunes as well as in the grassland.

Although there are a good number of caravans and motor homes parked by the beach, there were only 4 other people there. Later I saw a couple of dog walkers. (One dog, Pepi, is a rescue from Spain and thought to be a Patterdale/labrador cross. How did that happen in Spain I wonder?!)

I walked through the dunes and then to secret beach number 2. The path to number 1 is very steep, so I decided not to do it today.

It was eerily quiet. Occasionally a bird (skylark, oystercatcher or meadow pipit) made a fuss because I was near a nest but it was very still.

I returned for a late lunch at the Community Café, then a gentle afternoon of knitting and dozing.

I don’t usually hear radio programmes right through, but I put on This Cultural Life with Gillian Anderson. It was excellent and I’m looking forward to listening to more in the series. I like John Wilson’s interviewing style.

Tomorrow I need to start packing up for the long journey home. Sigh. I do love it here.

My extra? I’ve been wanting to photograph bogbean all week, but not seen any where I could park.