The year's most beautiful day?

18th/19th century English naturalist, Thomas Bewick, claimed after many years of observation, that May 18 was the most beautiful day of the year in England. His day may well be correct for Poland too. After the cold snap that happens around St. Sophia's Day (15 May), the weather usually improves. Yesterday was fine - today perfect. Everything is in leaf, the greenery of nature fresh, unburnt by the sun, yet it's warm enough to be T-shirt weather.

Today's walk took me to the southern fringes of Jeziorki, to Warsaw's boundaries with Mysiadlo. Below is the pond on ul. Pozytywki, where I saw a grey heron as well as the usual ducks and black-headed gulls.

Further on, across the fields south of ul. Katarynki, I could see the derelict buildings of the old state collective tomato farm in Mysiadlo (below), which will soon be developed into new homes. The size of the development (80 or so hectares, I estimate) means several hundred more cars joining the morning and evening rush-hours in and out of Warsaw.