Somerset in Pictures: Dragonflies and rare cows

Weston-super-Mare pier is pictured at sundown. At the entrance the words 'Grand Pier' stand out in almost a neon orange/red colour. That light is reflected on the cobbles in front of the entrance. The beach and sea can also be seen and there are dark clouds passing overhead. Image source, Weather Watchers/Gary the monkey
Image caption,

Weston-super-Mare is shining in all colours this summer

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A new art trail showcasing dragonflies has opened this week while elsewhere in the county a couple bought a rare cow.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cocklemore - a pleasure boat - has been taken back to the rivers after being repaired.

Take a look at those and more pictures taken across Somerset this week.

A spectacular view over a valley with cliffs to each side. In the far distance is a circular lake. The sky is blue and the sun is shining.Image source, Weather Watchers/marciaspictures

Pretty view: Marcia, a BBC Weather Watcher, captured this beautiful view over the Cheddar Valley on Monday.

A woman is sitting on a  bench in a building which has a few very small windows and one very large window. On the large window the woman is painting a big dragonfly in what appears to be white paint. Grass fields can be seen outside. The woman is smiling and looking at the camera.Image source, Steart Marshes Dragonfly Trail

Art in the wild: From this weekend, people can go and visit the Dragonfly Trail on Steart Marshes which was set up by Alison Jacobs.

A close-up image of a cow looking directly at the camera. It has black ears and a black nose and a mottled grey blue and white coat. The cow is lying down in a field of grass.

Rare cow: Emma and Andrew Warren, of Beetham Farm near Chard in Somerset, recently bought two Albion cows – a breed that until a few years ago was considered extinct following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the 1960s.

A man with grey hair is looking directly at the camera and smiling. He is wearing a crumpled white T-shirt with a logo on the left side. He is sitting on a boat which is floating on a river. There is a tree dipping into the water and lots of green around the riverbank. The water on the river is still.

The Duchess: A "hugely loved" community pleasure boat that was damaged by vandals has been fully repaired after £6,000 was raised. The Duchess of Cocklemoor takes groups along the River Parrett in Langport, Somerset, and is well known in the area.

Mike Wilkins smiles at the camera as he holds up fresh ears of barley to his phone camera. The phone is fastened to a tripod which is balanced on the boot of his silver truck. The vehicle is parked in a barley field with a cloudy sky behind.

'Farmfluencer': Mike Wilkins wants to "spread a bit of positivity" about the farming life by posting it on social media. He is one of many social media 'farm influencers' the BBC spoke to this week.

A colourful brick wall. Each brick is painted with pictures and messages in an array of colours - mostly yellows, blues, greens and reds.Image source, Somerset Council

Bricks in all colours: The charity Brick Project has transformed a bare facade at the junction of St John Street and Broadway in Bridgwater into a giant painted patchwork. The original goal of painting some 1,800 bricks was exceeded with 2,300 now decked out in bright colours thanks to the involvement of everyone from pre-schoolers to pensioners.

A group of people are standing in a row in a hospital setting. There are two men and three women and all of them have their hands clasped in front of them. The two men are in shirts and trousers, one of the women is wearing a navy dress and the other two women are wearing nursing uniforms. All of them are smiling directly at the camera.Image source, Yeovil Hospital

Eye care: Researchers at Yeovil Hospital have collaborated on a significant national eye care study. The Eye Neon study, led by Dr Sobha Sivaprasad, from Moorfields Eye Hospital, investigated the likelihood of wet age-related macular degeneration developing in both eyes.

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