Daily Walk in Difficult Times 93

It was gone seven in the evening before I managed to get out for my walk yesterday. I went to the field with the mutated thistles which is along the footpath to Charminster. More thistles flowers are out, some even at the thistledown stage, and bees are busy feeding and dusted in the abundant pollen. Some of the larger deformed thistles have not been able to withstand the strong winds and have bent over horizontally.

The long grasses are fading and feeble after producing so many seeds but there is a succession of vigorous fresh new growth of medium and low grasses. The sporadic shafts of low sun cast long shadows from the hedgerow trees over the barley field. Will not be long before the crop is harvested now. The dipping sun occasionally lit up the vegetation and produced interesting backlighting effects. The colours. textures, and patterns of the flowers and grasses in the rough area either side of the path are eye-catching with a patchwork of white umbellifers, yellow ragwort, purple thistles, and red and orange seed heads of dock.