Sun, Saturday and....

The sun put it's hat on yesterday and came out to play, slapping a smile on the faces of  everyone we met.  Our days trapped here at Alwalton are coming to end but the countryside is so beautiful and now, accessible, that another walk through it with the dogs is always a pleasure.
Jill and I and the four mutts set off just before 10am, Joe had gone into Peterborough on a mission to get chews for our boys and Graham was up to his armpits in paint decorating MR's bathroom. 

We headed down stream towards Ferry Meadows, or 'Furry Meadows' as someone calls it because of the abundance of rabbits, and chatted to all those we met.   One chap with a cracking three year old Lurcher said that he limited her to three dozen rabbits a day -  he used her by invitation on local farms to depopulate them of rabbits! 

 Great Crested Grebe

 Freshly 'pollarded' willow trees.

A number of the willows alongside the river had been pollarded.  This a traditional way of cutting back growth above 'browsing height', cattle browsing height that is, so that the new growth, whips, are safe from stock.  The whips when they grow are then used by thatchers and basket makers.

 The willow with its growth of whips...before they are harvested by pollarding the tree again.

 The elegant, Ferry Bridge

We crossed the River Nene over the Ferry Bridge and let the dogs have a swim in the river where their antics were of great interest to this little Belted Galloway..

She  crept closer to the river edge and seemed quite absorbed watching Fletcher and Floyd swim out after sticks, what a cutie..