Once they had escaped from a ludicrous conversation Grey Granite and Rufus enjoyed a sunny Sunday afternoon walk round by Merry Hillock and Bridgefoot of Phingask. At Chapelton they saw this group of Shetland ponies and include them here purely for the aah! factor. If they are true to breed form the ponies are probably less sweet natured than they look. Grey Granite cannot quite decide if there are more ox eye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) than usual this year.  She has noted  frequent in clumps fields and at dykes sides, perhaps this is a product of her liberation to stand and stare rather than an actual increase.

 The sunshine of the last few days has brought out many wildflowers at the dykeside and the barley, which just over  a week ago was hardly bearded, has already started to turn. The small tortoiseshell butterfly pictured was sunning itself on a huge patch of tufted vetch (Vicia cracca) in the lane at Chapelton

A single clump of Rosebay Willowherb (Epilobium angustifolium) is already in flower, the majority is still in bud.