Wild Mountain Thyme

Oh, the summer time is coming,
And the trees are sweetly blooming,
And the wild mountain thyme
Grows around the purple heather.


I went out for a short walk a couple of days ago on Newbold Comyn, and yes, that's how you spell comyn, Old English for "common" I guess. It was very mild for the beginning of January. Just like last year really which also had some very warm January days. As I've mentioned before some people were out wearing t shirts last January. Seen it this year too but it's not as warm as last winter.

I wandered down paths, pulling myself back up when it got steep holding on to trees and bushes. I saw woody stemmed creepers on the ground that were coming into new leaf. White nettles are also in flower and there are many annual wild flowers in leaf. Dock plants are producing new leaves after their old ones had withered during the snow falls.

I'd also seen primroses and heather in bloom a few days before while out.

The birds seem to think it's Spring.

I know we've got predicted cold days again this week, though not as cold as last week. I wonder what's going to happen if the plant and animal life go through may more cycles like this through the winter.

And surely if this continues and becomes more pronounced as the years go on it's going to change the whole cycle of nature disrupting the growth of crops and the lifecycles of insects and other life in the wild.