Matt Adores... The Great Outdoors!
Sure, the convenience of having shops, entertainment and social venues is all well and good. However, being surrounded by concrete, traffic and the day-to-day business of work has its drawbacks.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my regular job. Its an occasionally challenging environment in which to work, and on the whole its a pleasure to see a project completed or a particularly difficult problem solved. Being inside an office on a glorious sunny day can lead me to gazing out of the windows, looking at the blue skies and the wildlife going about its routine. On those sort of days I feel a strong urge to be outdoors.
I enjoy the feeling of space. I like to enjoy and observe the landscape around me. I like the weather - even if its raining there is something to appreciate amongst the trees, the fields and the hills.
The weather, strongly influenced by our planet's orbit around the sun, is variable in the temperate climate of the British Isles. I like to keep track of the changes in the seasons and how that has a direct impact on the activity of plants and animals.
Winter is a time of recovery and rest. Many animals hibernate, while birds such as Swifts and Swallows head South to warmer climes for the season. Deciduous trees are bereft of foliage. Their branches barren of leaves, and the precious resources built up during the Summer are held in storage until the warmth returns.
Spring brings rising temperatures, longer hours of sunlight and more clement weather. The young shoots of growth appear amid the hedgerows and trees. Bees awaken from their Yuletide slumber and begin to forage for the first pollen.
Summer is a time of plenty. Bright sunshine, the heat of the sun driving growth and productivity into top gear. Fruit begins to swell, leaves become lush and verdant. The migratory birds have returned to find a feast of insects to dine upon.
Autumn is a time of harvest. Berries and nuts are consumed to make the forthcoming cold more bearable for those animals that are active in the dark and the cold. Leaves fall and will eventually become the sustenance for those smaller creatures that maintain the circle of life.
All of these seasons have so much to offer an individual that appreciates the beauty of nature. There are many things of benefit to the keen observer.
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