Red, White and Blue

I love a bit of colour in my surroundings and seeing colourful flowers around the town will really cheer me up when everything has been dull and grey and wet for so long. It's not always flowers that do the job though, this morning had a beautiful display for me when I saw the sun shining through this red-leaved tree, turning the dark plummy leaves into a glorious stained-glass crimson:

The town is full of red white and blue decorations at the moment for the Jubilee celebrations but there are examples of these colours all around without having to put up bunting. The white of the hawthorn has already fallen, like out-of-season snow, but these luscious white roses were tumbling over a wall and just asking me to take a picture.  

For blue, you only have to look at the intensity of that sky, my favourite source of blue all year round. The bluebells have gone now but there are some tiny blue flowers in gorgeous dense clusters on several bushes.

Bunting for the Jubilee? No need, the town has it covered already!

After the Flood

The water levels have finally subsided and I have been able to return to the Stour, taking a brief but very enjoyable walk there after the school run this morning. The car park and access to the bridge was still very muddy but the path was finally accessible.

I may have missed out on April but I've managed to get my May picture, which will now count as my Spring contribution to my riverside series. The trees aren't all out yet but they are greening up nicely.

The willows have come along nicely since my last visit, with the willows fully leaved and the catkins now resembling clumps of wool

 Finally, as often seems to happen, I couldn't resist taking a picture of the sky reflected in the water; the sun not just peeking through the clouds but tearing great holes in them to get through and cheer up the soggy landscape.

Drought in Dorset

I have been trying to take monthly pictures from the riverside footpath by the Stour, near Eye Bridge, to follow the changes in the view through the year. My plans went a little awry, however, when April was so wet that I didn't venture out until the end of the month and then, when I made it to the car park, I was greeted with the following sight:

 not much chance of making it to the footpath, since the path was underwater!

Sometimes missed opportunities come with alternatives. My riverside photo project will have to be adjusted to a seasonal series rather than a monthly one but high water levels on the Stour often result in more photo opportunities.

Within a few days the Stour had, indeed, burst its banks. It is a regular occurrence, sometimes happening two or three times in a year, but the view from Julian's Bridge is usually quite spectacular when it happens.

from Julian's Bridge, looking South towards Merley

South-West towards Corfe Mullen

West, towards Cowgrove and Eye Bridge

North, towards the Football Club

The field by the river - no sheep here now!

The field by the river, ripples by the fence wire show how fast the water is flowing into the field.

All this, while the area was still officially in drought!