That was Then

Dear Reader,

 Two nature stories this week, one as promised about more seagull misdemeanours, and one about  an
escaped wolf.

Apparently an aggressive seagull faced execution because it had lost its fear of humans.
 The seagull, whose name is Gulliver, had been dive-bombing people sitting on the beach, attacked animals and stole some hats and food on Jersey in the Channel Islands.  (What hats, I wonder?)  But it has been saved from execution after over 700 people signed a petition to save its life.  It has now been captured at its home of St. Ouen's Bay and will be relocated to a quieter part of the island.  All species of gull are protected which makes it illegal to intentionally injure or kill the birds.  However, the law allows licences to be issued to kill gulls in order to preserve public safety.  Should I see any more news about Gulliver I will let you know.

A wolf went missing in Berkshire last week.  In his photograph he looked very amiable and obviously had a miserable time on his escape path. He roamed about eight miles from his home tracked by gunmen and helicopters.  But he was, thankfully, recaptured with no harm done.  In the 11th century a monk wrote that there were so many wolves in Northumbria that it was almost impossible for shepherds to protect their flocks.  January was known as 'wolf month' because it was the start of the wolf-hunting season for the nobility, which ended on March 25th.

Question:  why did it need gunmen and helicopters to recapture a small tame wolf?
                                                                         
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That was Then

We made our home
where the west wind blew
and the sun shone, sometimes,
we walked where people
we met in the street
or in the country lanes
exchanged news,
people well known to us
growing from infants to children
teenagers to married couples.

We walked by the Evenlode river
up into the fields where
butterflies gathered in the clover,
we saw horses grazing
wheat fields full
of red remembrance poppies,
the first primroses and bluebells
in the spring, foxgloves,
cow parsley dressing the hedgerows,
summer roses,
the first autumn leaves
fluttering to the ground,
and winter snow.

He walked ahead,
I followed.
We held hands, embraced,

but that was then.

                                                                              *

With very best wishes, Patricia