Evening light

Sleights holiday 10

The mornings were fresh and still, with that trembling promise of a warm day, a sensation that I have generally only experienced on holiday abroad. By noon it was too hot for me and after lunch each day I retired to my room or to a shady spot in the garden, to read and doze. The evenings were glorious, with warm, golden light - enjoyed, it seemed, not only by humans but by the various animals, birds and insects with whom we share our space. 

When I arrived I was told I could enjoy all of the large gardens belonging to the Community 'but, if you arrive at a cow, you've got as far as you can go.' There was, thankfully, a sturdy fence at the boundary. I did stop there. The cattle (young bullocks I think, rather than cows) did not quite stop at the fence, reaching over to browse the apples on the trees in the orchard. They were remarkably friendly and curious. If they weren't at the fence when I arrived, they soon ambled over companionably.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen garden, young Peter Rabbit looked quite guilty as he scrumped the tender leaves. (Hopeless photo but I knew if I moved to compose it properly he would disappear.)

Down the hillside, bees make their home in the hives and provide the community with delicious Eskdale honey, which we all appreciated at breakfast. The hives are managed by a commercial beekeeper, who has two 'farms', one on the opposite side of the valley and one here in the Community's gardens.