Autumn Meadow

I just loved the color of this meadow near Langness, Isle of Man. The normally bright yellow “Cushag” had died off and turned brown and the grass turned to hay. “Cushag” is commonly known elsewhere as Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) and is toxic to livestock. It is however embraced by some as the unofficial flower of the Isle of Man and features in a lovely poem by Josephine Kermode;

 

Now, the Cushag, we know,

Must never grow,

Where the farmer's work is done.

But along the rills,

In the heart of the hills,

The Cushag may shine like the sun.

Where the golden flowers,

Have fairy powers,

To gladden our hearts with their grace.

And in Vannin Veg Veen,

In the valleys green,

The Cushags have still a place.

 

Done