Seeking the Shade

We have enjoyed a lovely mild spring day. So mild in fact that we were able to don summer ¾ pants in order to get some colour on our winter-white legs.
I drove out to Brooksdale in the Omaka Valley and Dawn and I set off for a long walk further up towards the head of the valley. We walked along Barracks Road right to its end. This road traverses rolling country with lovely rural views of sheep in the paddocks and vineyards and the Richmond Range far away in the distance. It all so lush and green in the countryside at present with more than sufficient feed for the stock.
In the past Barracks Road was unsealed with rough surfaces, loose shingle, ruts and copious dust. There is a quarry hidden up in the hills off the road end and trucks thunder up the down the road at times. However as part of the on-going Resource Consent conditions the quarrying company has had to pay for most of the cost of tar-sealing the road. This tar-sealing was carried out a few months ago much to the delight of land owners who live at intervals along the road. What a huge difference it has made for the likes of us walkers and for cyclists! I will be planning more walks to this lovely area in the near future.
Today's’ image shows some sheep and their lambs making the most of some shade alongside the fence. They are “Romney” sheep and they are shaded by a Wattle Tree. These trees are in full bloom around the countryside at present. They are very pretty with their intensely yellow flowers but are casting off virtually invisible clouds of fine yellow pollen….. which detracts somewhat from their beauty.