As the summer heat builds on this mountain, so the spring life retreats into a state of seeming senescence.
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In reality, it is simply a time of rest, where the seed is laid ready for the reanimation of Autumn.
However, in the shady damp places, the faint memories of the Spring riot remain.
These intense punctuations of floral colour draw one as a moth to the flame. In fact, usually they are heard before they are seen.
The lazy drone of insects and the joyous calls of the birds proclaim the presence of these oases.
Surrounding them are many clear tracks telling me that I am not the only animal drawn here to the life giving source.
These places are the refuges toward which all life on the mountain gravitates to during the long dry, and in these places where, if you are very lucky, that rarest of big cats, the Iberian Lynx may appear.
If not, then I can simply enjoy these beautiful reminders of a Spring yet to come.
Photo: Compositae near the Medicine Spot. Courtesy of the author.