Wildlife and Open Sky.

What do you love about where you live?

Excuse me while I kiss the sky.

Jimi Hendrix

My dream as a child has always been to live in the countryside away from all the hustle and bustle of city life. The countryside has always been my safe place. I love watching the wildlife, seeing the beauty of the natural world.

Ox-eye daisy and Lady Bird

For me, I love the English countryside as it gives me the freedom to explore. Apart from human, we have no dangerous creatures roaming the country. Of course, we have plenty of poison plants and fungus, but you have to know what’s safe to eat, and what to avoid.

English Bluebells Woods

Deep in England’s past when the dark woods were dark and full of trees wolves, bears and beavers roamed freely, then the humans came and hunted them into extinction. Now, housing is taking the land from deers, badgers, foxes, rabbits, snakes and lizards which means our wildlife is in danger.

A green lane through a ford. A ford is a river crossing.

Now the countryside around my village is threatened with thousands of new developments including new towns, solar farms, roads and an incinerator.

The population of Britain is growing at an alarming rate but not from a natural increase in population but because of an influx of migrants and refugees. My small village has doubled in size and there is more housing to come. Newcomers are now wanting to change the village by adding things like gyms, more shops, fast food outlets and restaurants because they say there’s not enough in the village for them. Yet, a short drive away will take them to two towns nearby.

Harvest is in.

I love to see the changing seasons made by changes in the natural world. Whatever tomorrow brings I hope can continue to walk the local footpaths and enjoy watching the wildlife.

Common Malachite Beetle