Country diary: a thunderstorm ushers in a new season infused with vitality

Otley, West Yorkshire: A world of fresh vegetation bursts open and aromas are uncorked as a pair of interlopers look onThis May morning is warm, wet and still simmering with the energy of last night's thunderstorm. Mountains of cumulonimbus tower above the valley. Lush, white-blooming banks of ramsons steam in the sun, smelling like garlic broth. Hazy clouds of hyacinth fragrance waft across the old railway line from patches of bluebells. A newly flowering hawthorn catches my nose with its ripe, lurid smell.With a world of fresh vegetation bursting open, aromas are uncorked everywhere, and walking along a path is like sampling a menu of commingling flavours: peppery, citrusy, sappy, earthy. After a slow, arctic spring, the storm has announced a new season, and now everything seems suddenly brighter, infused with an almost tropical ripeness and vitality. Continue reading...