A perfect walk

Yesterday was a beautiful day and the garden still looks lovely.

I went on what had to be the best walk of the year – the scenery, colours, sights and sounds seemed to be even more acute. The weather was unbelievable with hot sun tapered by a slight autumnal feel. Derek dropped the dogs and myself at the bottom of Aldermans Enclosure and we walked over Wilmersham Common to the foot of Dunkery and then along the path which hugs the side of the range of hills to Webbers Post and from there along the carriage path to Wootton Courtenay. Abby, Soda and I covered approximately 8 miles while the 2 young springers covered about 38 miles!

There were so many herds of stags and their harems of hinds that I almost became blasé about seeing them until looking over the valley, I saw and heard a stag roaring. With no other sound apart from the breeze in the bracken, it is the most evocative of sounds and sent a shiver down my back. The colours of the trees are staring to turn to a lovely yellow, golden and orange glow and the view from Webbers Post over Horner Woods is fantastic. Soda discovered her first adder sunbathing near the footpath and decided that this was worth investigating further. Not sure whether it was her mistress’s slightly panicking voice or the hissing that made her decide to come away!

Autumn is a busy time of the year for the farmers - fields being ploughed ready for planting, bracken being cut and baled for bedding and hedges being cut. Around our lanes, it looks as though a spirit level has been used to get the hedges so neat and square – it is really the work of a craftsman.