It was midsummer, and although the weather was cool and showery, the sun managed to make its way out from behind the clouds from time to time. When that happened it felt quite warm in the more sheltered spots, but – best of all – it released the wonderful aroma of the wild bog myrtle.

At this time of year, the whole of the area around Algy’s home was filled with the fragrance of this aromatic plant, and Algy loved it. He flew up to warm spot on the headland, where he knew the bog myrtle grew across the peat bog and right up to the bare rocky outcrops that protruded from it, and found himself a warm rock beside a low, green bush. Burying his beak in the shiny leaves, he inhaled happliy 🙂

[For those interested in botany, bog myrtle is also known as Sweet Gale, and its Latin name is Myrica Gale.]

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During the brief West Highland summer, there are many fascinating plants to be found in the peat bogs if you look carefully enough, but Algy’s favourite doesn’t require close scrutiny to discover it. When the weather is reasonably warm, the whole bog is fragrant with the wonderful aroma of the leaves of the wee, shrubby bog myrtle – and Algy just loves it! He wishes he could send you some of its unique perfume, in the way that he can send you his pictures, but alas he cannot! So you will just have to imagine that you are sitting in the peat bog with Algy, inhaling this very special and uplifting aromatic scent 🙂

Algy had a very special card to post, so he set out towards the local postbox just as the day was drawing to a close. But the moist evening air was so heavy with the scent of the bog myrtle leaves that he became distracted. Algy knew that the post would not be uplifted until the next morning in any case, so he thought that it would be all right if he paused for a while en route, to rest on a rock and breathe in the aromatic fragrance all around him.

The weather had turned much cloudier and damper but Algy didn’t mind, because the rain helps the peat bogs to flourish. At this time of year the unique aromatic fragrance of the Bog Myrtle fills the air around Algy’s home, and he loves to get as close to it as possible. The wonderful smell of the fresh leaves in his beak made his hair stand on end in the breeze!

Algy sends you all a cooling waft of the damp, fragrant summer air of his West Highland home, and hopes you have a cool and peaceful weekend xx