Short walks

 I always sort of feel that being now retired, with neither children nor parents to look after, we ought to have every day free for going out and about. Somehow though, it doesn't quite work like that - certainly housework, gardening, and husband's pottering at the allotment don't take care of themselves (more's the pity).

We generally pull in one full afternoon out each week, but having been cooped up for so long with the latest lockdown, and with the weather having been lovely for the past few weeks, I wanted to get out more - to get fitter by increasing the number of steps I take each week, and to enjoy spring, with leaves opening and bluebells coming into flower.

So, over the past week or so we've been to Locko Park (top two pics) for a walk down to the lake, taken my grandson to his local pond to see ducks, geese and pigeons, and strolled up to our nearby wood to find bluebells.

It won't get me fit enough to run a marathon or walk a long-distance footpath, but it's a better way to spend the early evening than sat indoors.

Sunday sunset at Locko

Sunday was a lovely day, almost warm again, certainly nice enough to spend most of the day sitting (at a suitable social distance) in a neighbour's garden. 

In the evening, though, I decided that, as I'd sat still for so long, some exercise would be good - so we took the car to Locko and walked the half mile to the lake and back, with more than half an eye on the sunset the whole time.

And as we headed back up the drive to leave, the almost-full moon rose.

 

Evening walk at Locko Park

As the evenings start to draw in I want to make the most of the remaining sunshine, and Locko is ideal for a short near-to-home walk.

I didn't go far at all this time - just down the drive as far as the lake. 

With the last sunshine bathing the water and surrounding trees, it's a lovely tranquil spot - till something spooked the geese, and they flew off honking noisily. 

 

Lockdown Week 12 - June 9th - 15th

Twelve Weeks! It seems almost unbelievable that I've spent this long without really going anywhere - a couple of walks up the playing fields, trips to pick up the click and collect order, and until last week that was it!!

For once, this last week has been a busy one, comparatively, with things actually happening. 

First, the fortnightly click and collect. I used to shop once a fortnight with no problems but for some bizarre reason can't seem to get a click and collect order right. I always end up with too much of one thing, and forget something else entirely - this week it was tonic water and cake. Not the end of the world as I still had lemonade and the not-quite-ready elderflower fizz, and lots of rhubarb for muffins. I tried a new recipe this time with ground almond and white chocolate. The almonds weren't very apparent but the chocolate was a good addition.




When lockdown started I had great plans of getting my husband to do some re-decorating. On one of the last days of hot weather he did the necessary painting in the dining room, and this week re-papered this wall.

Next a sad event. One of our neighbours has been in and out of hospital a lot recently. I didn't really know her, and had no idea how ill she was, but she died a week or so ago, and the funeral was this week. Everyone came out and lined the pavement, and as the hearse left someone started clapping so we all joined in (has this become a thing? I thought it was very strange)  

Theatre night was moved forward to Thursday, as I was impatient to see this week's presentation from National Theatre Live.  I've lost count of the number of plays I've seen these past few weeks, but this week's offering was very special - Alan Bennett's The Madness of George III, which I saw twice during its short run at Nottingham Playhouse, including the night of the original cinema streaming! I'd very much hoped this would be transmitted as I wanted to compare my recollection of seeing it live with how it feels on a screen. I think it loses a little, but not much; these streamed shows have definitely converted me.

On Saturday I suggested we took advantage of a nice evening and go out to Locko Park. Going out somewhere, even nearby, makes things feel almost back to normal, and it's always good to get out into the countryside.  It was a well-timed trip, as the next day we had thunderstorms and torrential rain.

In the garden my carouby de mausanne  mangetout peas have flowered (they're purple, look very pretty and will contrast with the yellow Kentucky Wonder Wax beans), the white-flowered sugar bons produced their first pods, and strawberries are ripening. To try to regain structure in the week, for #FridayFlowers, I picked scented sweet peas and pink roses Sometimes things don't feel so bad despite everything.

I'm not impressed with the whole idea of social bubbles as they won't make any difference to me. I'm sure they'll be of help to some people but they just feel like a crumb we're being thrown to keep us docile. In the same vein, from the fifteenth non-essential shops will be open. I'm not tempted though. Despite the mishaps, for now I'll stick to click and collect for groceries, and online shopping for anything else.

One thing that didn't happen this week was a planned trip to Tangled Roots Festival in the West Country. I'd bought tickets at the beginning of the year and had been looking forward to taking the tent and experiencing a new festival - listening to the music and maybe even joining in with the flamenco class. Covid has forced so many events to cancel, and Tangled Roots is another of them. The organisers are hoping the event can go ahead in September, but although I'd love to go then I'm not sure it will take place. Something to mark in my diary for next year.

30 Days Wild - week 2

It's been an exciting sort of wild week - from garden visitors to wild thundery weather.

The week started quietly with watching bees in the garden - favourite flowers appear to be cotoneaster that covers the side of the garage, perennial geraniums of all colours, foxgloves, and flowers on the sage plants. It turns out they're not interested in scented flowers such as roses and sweet peas, though I know they love lavender (which will flower soon).

Tuesday was busy with unusual garden visitors. First I was astounded to see a squirrel running about on the patio, barely a socially distanced two metres from where I was sitting inside. They often run along the back fence, and I assume they raid the bird feeders at times but I've never seen one approach this close to the house. Then it appeared again in the afternoon! Meanwhile in the compost heap, a mouse was busy finding dinner. Although they're fairly regular visitors, I haven't seen one for a while, so was quite startled - so was the mouse. In future I'll lift the bin lid off slowly.

On dry days the bird bath has been busy with visitors - mainly robins, pigeons, blackbirds, but occasionally goldfinches, sparrows and blue tits turn up.
Larger birds have been squabbling in the front garden rowan and along the road - crows, blackbirds, possibly a magpie (they're generally the trouble-starters) - and a pair of pigeons have been trying to nest there - they seem to have very little idea about nest-building, and the one in the back garden has fallen out of the tree a couple of times.

The highlight of the week though was seeing goslings at Locko Park. I'd gone there just for some open countryside and although I knew geese lived there, hadn't expected the huge families swimming round the lake. Most of the youngsters (Pinkfoots possibly) were being safety corralled in the middle of the lake but the Canada geese with older goslings were on the banks

Back to Locko

Locko was the last place we went out to before lockdown, so it really ought to have been the first we returned to, but as it was, last weekend we went to Shipley, as there's more space there to avoid others if it's busy, so it was only Saturday evening that we went back to Locko.

It's a good place to visit at the moment - not far from home, the 'footpath' is a good wide road to the hall, there's a huge open area by the lake if anyone wants to sit and picnic, and there's little car parking so not many people visit.

We'd only intended to walk down to the lake but the evening was so nice that we carried on a little way, following a footpath up to a wood where there are lovely views back over the park, then through the trees, listening to the birdsong around us, before re-tracing our steps.

As with the trip to Shipley, it was lovely to get out, away from houses and traffic, to see no one other than a few walkers, to walk under trees, and even to see cows grazing in the distance.

The highlight though was seeing the numerous goslings, mostly out on the lake accompanied by watchful parents, though the Canada geese were braver (and their goslings a little older) and had taken up a spot on the grassy bank.

Locko before the lockdown

I've been quietly staying at home the last week or so, but on Monday evening, as if expecting the lockdown to come, I decided to risk going out to nearby Locko Park.

As I've said before, this place is a lovely tranquil spot hidden out of sight of a minor road not far from Derby.








The hall sits at the far end of a lake, and the public have no access (other than on certain charity open days in summer) but a public right of way follows the drive down to the lake and beside it for a while before turning aside.














Fortunately, unlike some of the Peak District over the weekend, it wasn't busy; just the usual dog-walkers in a couple of cars in the lay-by at the end of the drive.










It's a place we frequently visit but I don't think I've seen this wonderful bank of daffodils on the private side of the lake before. I rather wished we could have walked round there, or got a boat and rowed across for a closer look.

Nearer to hand I spotted celandines, wood anemones, and another clump of daffodils on the far side of trees

It might be a while before I can go out to anywhere I can't reach on foot but at least I picked a lovely evening for my last trip[ out.