Sleeping Poppies

It was an early start for my walk with the dogs this morning. The dogs and I were out before dawn. It was a dramatic start too as just five minutes into our walk the dogs chased, caught and killed a stoat. I raced after them into the undergrowth and tripped on a rock in the long grass. I scraped the skin on the front of my shin near my ankle. Being older and with thin skin there was blood for miles and ouch, it really hurt. I am always prepared for such emergencies and so out came the bandanna from the bottom of the camera bag. I folded it into a bandage and it acted as a good tourniquet as well. Then on with the walk!
I found the stoat’s body…the dogs were doing victory rolls over it. Nature can be cruel. But stoats are a terrible pest here in New Zealand so one less is good for the environment.
The Californian Poppies put themselves to bed in the late afternoon by furling their petals very neatly and tidily. They remain asleep until well after sun-rise and once warmed up start to unfurl themselves to face the new day.
These sleeping beauties were beside the stony river bank. I do love them and I will be blipping more of them…..