Freedom

 

I am free. Now I can go where I want, when I want. They have finished and there is not a pothole in sight. All last month our roads have been closed on weekdays until the evenings. It has made for some very interesting driving. I followed the big yellow diversion signs until they seemed to peter out or got mixed up with some other road works. But it is not all bad I discovered some little Welsh villages that I had not seen before they seemed a long way out but at least the road was not closed. I got used to driving at 20mph going safely past houses and schools with beautiful countryside.

I got used to exploring our county’s countryside too, far away from the roadworks. On a hot sunny day, we set off to see the blue butterfly fields in north Shropshire’s special heath land. It is the only place you can find the silver studied blue butterfly in the Midlands. I hoped that we would be lucky. We met a serious looking man with a huge camera lens.

“Go over to the right where the heather is in flower and you will see plenty.”

We followed his instructions and there on the topmost tips of fresh growth we saw the flitting blue in great numbers. The females are brown and some were busy laying eggs. Strangely, I have read that when the eggs hatch, they are sometimes taken underground and looked after by ants. The little caterpillar ‘thanks’ them by producing a sweet sugary liquid which the ants love.

We love the sweet strawberries that have grown in our new garden. We can hardly believe that in such a short time we are eating fruit from outside our back door. We have had to cover them with a net because we have managed to attract a lot of birds who also want to eat our strawberries. I had a cherry tree for my birthday last year and I forgot to net it and just before each fruit was ripe it disappeared! I suppose it is our fault and we should expect to be extra careful now that we have encouraged the birds to come into our garden.

There were no birds or insects in the park where I sat waiting for Mr T. There were masses of flowers in the brightest colours imaginable. The plants were thriving forming rows and lines in geometric patterns with not a weed in sight. I know lots of people that love this, but the wildlife is not impressed.

It was then that I had a wonderful surprise. I saw swifts overhead hurtling through the blue summer’s sky with screams of joy.