The whole family is back together with No1 daughter back from college in the U.K for her Easter break, so hectic life resumes.  Supper-times are loud, vocal and opinions fly, just how I like it 😉 Even my OH gets home for supper now with his new job, not sure he’s got quite used the the chaos yet.  Many hands though don’t seem to make light work, I always have to cajole everyone to partake in the chores.

Last night after another boisterous but  delicious supper of beef braised in beer, and roasted romanesco cauliflower with carraway , we made the most of the clocks springing forward and decided to take a walk on the wild-side.  During the Spring & Summer, we often walk the land, seeing what has changed, grown, to soak up the view, and take a few moments to stand and stare.  This seemed a perfect opportunity, a calming time , evening sunshine, and full tummies.

After the recent rains the land has blossomed into a wilderness, our dogs almost hidden in it’s depths. Many local folk spray the land to kill back the fauna, I just love to take in the lush green vegetation and the myriad of colours from wild flowers and trees bursting into life.

So walk the land we did, well, fight our way through.  Nature didn’t disappoint, french lavender, wild sweet peas,  white showy heads of wild garlic danced in the evening breeze, jasmine perfume scented the air.  My favourite pink butterfly orchids, stood like rosettes of spring, slender wild gladiolis so delicate, swathes of vipers bugloss, with dense mauve petals created a carpet over the mountain.

Reaching the end , we breathe in the view and enjoy the feeling of being on-top of the world, even the children, take the time to stand and stare.

A great book we bought at the start of our new mountain life some 8 years ago was ‘Complete Mediterranean wildlife’ by Paul Sterry , perfect for identifying species, and very easy for children to use too.