July 15th from the West Cliff Green

Normally a stiffish breeze would be annoying but today it moderates the blistering heat and lifts the scent of pine needles and bracken into the air. The tree branches sway making the dapples on the path dance and bother about. The sea is only slightly wrinkled but the breeze lifts the occasional white cap off the deep blue green water which sparkles as if its mother has been up all night sewing sequins on it..

Butterflies tumble; a bumble bee clings to a teasel like an acrobat as the stalk pirouettes beneath it. Gulls swoop and glide on the air. A greenfinch practises its voice from a gorse bush. Crows call to one another. #bournemouth #westcliffgreen #July #summer

From 15th July 2016

Looking at the piles of sand that the ants have thrown up on the car park made me consider that, without intervention, the whole hard surface would be gone in ten or so years. Then I remembered Charles Darwin's research into worms and how he showed how quickly Roman ruins were covered with layers of soil. I guess we should remember how temporary is our stay and how quickly our works would be buried. On the other hand, for all the violence and hate, there are good things about being human and about being alive which we should strive to preserve and hand on to a future world.

From 15th July 2015

The clifftop is heavy with the intense sweet scent of honeysuckle. The vines tangle in and out the gorse and darkening bracken. The evening is almost dead still. The only sounds is the almost imperceptible chatter of Swifts flying so high they are almost invisible against the pink edged grey evening clouds. Below a couple walk hand in hand along the gentle surf edge. The wavelets provide a distant wash.