Weeks without rain had turned the ground hard and dusty. It was another hot day, but still manageable enough for a stroll around the nature reserve. The blue sky made for a clear afternoon, though the lack of rain was obvious everywhere along the path.
Passing by the sports field, the grass had turned entirely brown. It looked like a field of dry straw, with blue and white painted lines standing out against the dead turf.
A few wild carrot flowers pushed up through the grass, including one growing right on top of a painted blue line.
A pile of orange mesh fencing caught my eye. It was a sharp pop of colour sitting in the middle of all that dry, brown grass.
Dry purple thistles stood nearby, next to a white oxeye daisy with a bold yellow centre.
I walked along a path with tall, dry wild grass on both sides. The stalks were golden brown, and were around waist height.
A hot walk across brown fields might not show nature at its greenest, but it shows the reality of a long dry summer. The reserve is mostly waiting for rain, just like me!
