Sue Woodcock: Marvelling at Nature’s diversity but a thief strikes once again

I have been rather remiss in getting rid of thistles which are shedding thousands of seeds in the wind like a covering of gossamer.

The Scottish thistle is a handsome plant and the purple flowers attract the bees in some numbers.

Down in the mire there is the common thistle more spindly and delicate but still rather pretty. In the fields I have a lot of clover and peeking shyly from the grass are tiny cinquefoil, forget-me-nots, ladies bed straw, some scarlet pimpernel as well as the delicate blue of speedwell.

The more I look the more I find. Nature is incredibly diverse and even the variety of grasses are spectacular.

There is the common perennial rye grass and a variety of fescues and bents. On the edges of the pasture there is Yorkshire fog and Timothy and cocksfoot. Down in the mire there are sedges and reeds. The sphagnum moss is prolific and lush as it grows in fascinating clumps ready to turn multi-coloured when the season moves on.

Our local agricultural show on Tuesday at Kilnsey Show is a great event and a friend of mine is showing his two magnificent Derbyshire gritstone tups.

I shall be doing my bit, probably waving my arms at the traffic and then manning one of the gates and politely explaining that dogs are not allowed on the field because of an accident that occurred a few years ago. It is a long day but while it may not be the biggest show it is certainly one of the best.

When I first moved here I was given an American style postbox which I utilised. I fixed it to the wall by my gate and the postman delivered and collected from it. I painted it white and put the name Mire House on it. It was very useful and it had been there for six years.

It was stolen the other night. It isn’t worth that much and I was furious. There are some despicable people around. It is the nuisance value that upset me more than anything. I have had to replace it temporarily with a plastic box but I would very much like it back.

It may have a certain value to a collector as it is a genuine American one but the assumption of the thief that they could just take it makes me wonder just how low some people can get. It is marked with smart water and can be identified. I had some very un-Christian thoughts towards the thief. I do not like being a victim and don’t see why the sympathy is centred on the offenders. Maybe these people when they are caught should be given the task of pulling ragwort from the roadsides and working at the unpleasant tasks the council can no longer afford to undertake.

I shall probably calm down in time but meanwhile there are a lot of positives to consider. The dogs are happy, the sheep thriving and the chickens starting to lay eggs again. Fair hurt her paw and has been a little lame but is rapidly recovering. Boo is missing Gizmo but still hurtles round like a loon chasing rabbits and just recently seems to have declared war on stoats and weasels. Quite where she finds them I have no idea but she charges into the house with great pride to deposit the latest casualty at my feet.

The home lined up for little Ginny hasn’t worked out so I am looking for another one. She is a super loving little dog but isn’t keen on cats. Foyle my older collie likes to sit in the sun and watch the world go by. Brillo is currently hunting rats frantically digging and barking at places in the fields. Any self respecting rat or mole will be long gone by that time but it doesn’t stop her trying! With plenty of water in the well I am taking the opportunity to wash bedding and other things that need it. Drying them is a bit of a challenge. As soon as I put them out on the line it starts to rain. Such is life!