This time of year in Glenlyon is just fantastic. The days become so much longer and is is often the case in March and April, we are having real sunshine- T shirt weather. I have grown vegetables in the glen for quite a while now and it really keeps you in tune with the seasons. The growing season is very short here and an early start is essential. Luckily we seem increasingly to get our summer weather in this early spring period, long days full of sunshine. Hot enough to frazzle your tomato seedlings (to a crisp), but unfortunately still with a frost on a night. The proverbial summer months here, by contrast often feature sticky humid weather with little direct sunshine to ripen veg.
That's not to say we haven't had any rain. On Monday and Tuesday it bucketed down- proper professional rain, not only going about its work, but doing a double shift as well.. I was in Perth on Tuesday at a Forestry Commission sponsored meeting concerning woodfuel and The Renewable Heat Incentive. On Monday however I went to look at some woodland. On the way I saw some Squirrels, Ma, Pa and at least one nipper.
They were having a lovely time of it in the old beech. The reds are so nimble and in control of their habitat, they cross from tree to tree effortlessly.
Happy to have seen the squirrels, I walked on. About ten minutes later I crossed a deer-fence and heard a toad croaking. Just ahead in what ecologist call an "Incidental Pool" and most folk call a bit of a puddle was a toad laying her spawn. Toads are not Charismatic Megafauna like red squirrels and do not come up well on wet muddy day photos. However here is a pic of the Narnia like world I entered a few minutes later.
An almost pure birch wood, even aged and probably not that old. In fact you could even hazard a guess that this wood started around the early to mid 70's.
Like so much in the glen, this is only a few uphill minutes from a road.
Next blog: Perhaps more of this walk, perhaps the meetings I have been having all week or perhaps something else altogether. It has been a very interesting week.
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