This week brought the end of 30 Days Wild. I've found it a real challenge this year and haven't enjoyed it as much as the previous two years. I've been so busy, I've lacked the time and/or energy for 30 Days Wild this time round but I just about made it, though rarely outside of the garden!
On day 26, I wandered in a churchyard and collected pine cones for the insect hotel at school.
On day 27, I only managed an outdoor drink and some reading.
Just a snail in the rain and my outdoor drink for day 28. I was at work all day and we were on an educational visit so I came home pretty tired!
Day 29 was busy too - I had plans for something outside of the garden but then something else came up and I only managed a few minutes looking at flowers and raindrops!
I would have liked to have put in a bit more effort for day 30 but I started work earlier than usual and I was so tired after (and really wanted to read!) so I identified a flower on the drive and found a soldier beetle in the garden.
My Saturday was swallowed up in a cloud of brick dust as work continued at my new house but Sunday was a much better day - aside from spending about five hours driving! I spent the day in York for the biennial insect festival. I saw a couple of tansy beetles on the Tansy Beetle Action Group stand but couldn't find any in the tansy beetle bed in the museum garden this year (neither could the people from the action group!). I didn't enjoy the festival as much as last time (see > here < for more about the 2015 Insect Festival) on account of not being able to hold any bugs this year - no giant millipedes or cockroaches or anything else sadly - but it was still worth going and I came away with three packets of bee mix seeds from Seedball too - those will be used in my garden when I'm ready! Oh and I bought a book from Second Nature about Wildlife in Derbyshire.
Once I'd done browsing the insect stands, I wandered into York where some unknown force pulled me into Waterstones where I found a couple of new books I needed and then I bought a sandwich and went back to the museum gardens to eat it. I started off sitting on a bench in the shade by the observatory, where I saw a wood mouse! A bit later, I moved to a sunny spot beside the wildflower patch and watched the bees for a bit before heading home.
 |
| I quite liked this floating tree wizard guy I passed! |
I decided to go home via Hathersage so I could call in and see the ring ouzel well dressing.
There were lots of well dressings on in places I drove though today so I could have stopped to take in many more but didn't have time to keep stopping.
This post is week 26 which means we're half way through the year now!
Hoping the work on the new house is going smoothly and that it all settles for you soon Louise! I adore the shots of the tansy beetles and while the festival might not have been as fun for you, those shots are lovely, and I like that floating wizard too - like a Gandalf made out of roots! :D You've been able to fit so much in I don't think you should feel bad about it but I know that sometimes, when you're working, like I was last year, it becomes such a balancing act so I feel you on that one. Hopefully next year will be easier for you! - Tasha
ReplyDelete