Sunday Stroll

Judith & I decided to get up early today as the sun was shining and go for a walk.

So, after Scotland had striven manfully but were clearly going to win, we left the house and drove to Castle Combe, to do our favourite short circular walk and be back home for lunch in time for Judith to carry on doing school work (!).

It was a glorious day, and the combe was in magnificent summer fettle. Birds abounded, people didn't, the rare breed sheep were shorn and looking very small and tidy, and the sunlight played on the Byebrook in what Judith described as the epitome of dappled light.

We walked across the water meadows from the bridge over the brook, rather than up the sunken lane, and saw the damsel fly, whose photo either appears in the entry, or above it, and managed to beat off the biting flies.

Later, walking up the small tributary valley to the Byebrook from Ford, we met and conversed with a small herd of Galloway cattle, whose calves were in playful mood, and very shaggy and bear-like.

Further up the hill in the wild flower meadow we watched a surprising number of marbled white butterflies, and fewer, but equally spectacular, blues.

Nearing Castle Combe itself, we spent a couple of minutes stroking, and being licked by, a palomino, who obviously appreciated the salt on our skin.

After an icecream (for Judith), a Fentimans Ginger Ale (for me), and a close scrape with a craft fair (I nearly bought some more turned wood to gather dust on a shelf), we returned to the car and home.