The days are warming up and when the sun is out it feels as though summer has indeed arrived. But large black thunder clouds can amass without warning, and suddenly one is caught in a torrential downpour. The crops, grass verges and wildflowers are all responding with wonderful vigorous growth. One wonders at times how they all manage to live so well side by side without strangling each other. One strange phenomena is the amazing display of poppies in one field last year has totally disappeared this year. Possibly a simple explanation is that the farmer poured lethal weed killer over his crop of peas and poppies, but nevertheless it is strange to see the sturdy green heads of wheat stretching as far as the eye can see without the trace of even one poppy. Happily in the distance one can still catch a glimpse of the vibrant red of poppies and our kaleidoscope of colours this year is none the less brilliant with the vibrant yellow of the rape and the up and coming tender blue of linseed.

Our own experience of life would seem to mirror the changing patterns of the countryside. One moment it is alive and full of the joy of red poppies, then it can be like the husks of wheat left after harvest, only to change yet again into the gentle lavender blue of the linseed plant.