Freyalyn's Thoughts

I took the pups down by the river and through the nature reserve this afternoon - needed to get back to TMS on the radio so we didn't have such a long walk as yesterday's, which was along the canal and back along the river.  I don't know how much longer we'll have this big field by the river; it's due to be developed, and has recently sprouted yellow posts put down by surveyors.  Lunil has a big scar down one leg where she scraped off a long strip of fur on one of the posts' sharp edges.  Apparently the footpath by the river will remain, but I don't know how wide it will be.

Still very green, as we've had lots of rain with our sunshine in the last week or so.


Just one poppy plant that I've found throughout the whole reserve (which admittedly isn't very big).  I've been enjoying this plant for a week or so now, it's in a sheltered position so the petals aren't being bashed off by wind and rain.  I took lots of nearly dry poppy stalks and seedheads down with me this afternoon, and left them in strategic spots.  I hope they'll be more poppies next year.


Across the river from the far end of the reserve these were flowering.  The river's very shallow here, and the pups can get across without swimming, though I didn't let them in today.  The heavy rain yesterday has stirred the riverwater up and it's a bit whiffy.  Not that LUnil isn't anyway, given the heat and the fact it's almost impossible to stop herself immersing herself in river or canal when you take your eyes off her.


The waterlilies are really starting to come into their own.  The tadpoles have mostly grown up and left the pond now, though there's the odd legless one still wriggling around, so there aren't any tiny froglets sitting on the leaves.  One end of the pond  is almost completely carpeted with the lilies.

Off to Alston Hall this weekend for a lovely annual knitting/fibre retreat.  I have lots of spinning, lots of knitting, lots of reading, and a workshop on spindling if I feel as if I have enough concentration.  The garden should be lovely, and the views over the Ribble Valley to the SE are wonderful.