Love Country Life

I grew up in the countryside. We lived in Lancashire, UK and our house backed onto a farmer’s field The garden was often invaded by ducks and even, on one occasion, a cow. In the days when hens roamed free I would hunt for eggs under the hedgerows and help the farmer milk his cows. The warm milk pouring straight into a jug to take back home.

I loved the cows. It was a Friesian herd but there was the one Jersey cow, Daisy. She was my favourite . Her liquid brown eyes and gentle disposition just melted my heart.

Now we are back in the country albeit a different type of countryside.

Fields of cows have been replaced by woodland hiding Deer and Cinghiale.

Olive groves and vineyards have replaced the fields of wheat. Now Poplar (Cottonwood) trees turn roads and pathways into a snow scene with their fluffy white seeds.

Blistering hot, dry days have replaced the grey, rainy weather. Cows and hens and pigs are hidden from view but goats and lambs frolick on the hillsides.

Then there are the wild creatures . In Lancashire our hedgerows concealed rabbits and hedgehogs, Our gardens attracted countless varieties of birds. The dark corners of our houses hid large hairy spiders and Daddy Long Legs.

Now friendly crickets and locusts pop up in unexpected places. Cheating death they sit in the middle of the floor or on the hinge of a cupboard or inside the oven!

Cicadas serenade our evenings and the croaking of toads signal the end of the day.

We tap out our shoes just in case a scorpion is hiding there and use a stick to separate the grass blades to warn snakes of our approach.

Rabbits can still be found but also giant hares, deer and families of wild boar.

But my favourite are the foxes.

They are such beautiful creatures and very mischievous. In search of fun as much as food.

They steel shoes and balls and even brooms and electric barbecue only to leave them for us to recover in an adjacent field.

We have one regular visitor. He comes as the sun sets and potters around the terrace . At first food is ignored preferring to find something to steal..  On finding this he runs off only to return five minutes later, minus the ‘toy’ his attention turning to food.

Our eyes lock for a second, then confident I am not a threat, he continues to eat and I resume my reading. Each of us stealing occasional glances. R

Watch out for another blog telling the story of our foxes.