If you are planning an outdoor activity, it is best to check with me if I have a visit to Snipe Dales that day, because if I am, it's probably raining... After 2 weeks of glorious sunshine and what could well have been our summer used up for the year, it started to rain on my way to Snipe Dales in May. I can’t say it dampened my mood however, as the rich greens of the Country Park seemed to have grown out even more since my last visit. As soon as I stepped out of my car, I soaked in that atmosphere of a forest floor after rain. The petrichor was gorgeous in the air and the misty rain was more refreshing than uncomfortable as the temperatures were still a reasonable height.
James was out on the reserve with the new cattle when I arrived, and Andy, one of the volunteers at Snipe Dales, did his best to talk me through the long list of jobs we had planned for the day. I have to say it started off rather excitingly, as after some basic instruction in the art of using the ride on mower, I got a chance to use it, tidying the area around the car park and picnic benches. It was harder than you would imagine with lots of obstacles around the Country Park entrance!