Head for the hills.

We headed north today onto the hills near Winchester Hampshire. There were too many people out on Old Winchester Hill and wanting to maintain appropriate social distancing from others we found a spot just down the road with views across the hills.

Given the baking hot sun, the light breeze up higher under the shade of some large Beech Trees made a nice spot to take the deck chairs out and chill out.

Solanum dulcamara has been valued by herbalists since ancient Greek times. In the Middle Ages, the plant was thought to be effective against witchcraft, and was sometimes hung around the neck of cattle to protect them from the ” evil eye “. It has many names “local” names bittersweet, bittersweet nightshade, bitter nightshade, blue bindweed, Amara Dulcis, climbing nightshade, fellenwort, felonwood, poisonberry, poison-flower, scarlet berry, snakeberry, trailing bittersweet, trailing nightshade, violet bloom, or woody nightshade is a species of vine in the potato genus Solanum, family. A bit later in the year, the berries will turn bright red.

The cows also seemed to be enjoying the breeze on the top of the hill by the tree line.