Aw thanks Blue, Brian has no interest in what happens to his photos after he has taken them, he just likes taking photos. That photo was definitely good pr for rats, he looks like someone’s pet rodent there…. all shiny eyes and clean fur. But no one wants them too close to where they live, work and so on. Though there is a well known saying that you’re never more than 6 foot away from a rat in London……
What a beautiful spot. All the photos you have posted of places near your home have me convinced that you are living in a very special part of the world.
Hi Dan, it’s not the grandeur of the mountains but a more domestic scale beauty here, most of the places I have shown are all landscaped and created by our ancestors, the lake from an old quarry, the woodland managed, coppiced and grazed. There are very few wild places in the British Isles. I am currently reading a book called The Wild Places by Robert McFarlane and dreaming of small rocky islets off the coasts where the seals bask…
I asked nicely if I could take a picture for you. They said no buildings and no people, I hope I met their brief :) I was in a really bad mood before I went, but after twenty minutes of bobbing about, I was feeling benign again :)
Choclette, Ratty looks sweet in that photo but they make me jump when they scuttle about on the paths…. they come out to see what Fran the birdman has left for the birds.
Yesterday there was a Mexican standoff between the cat with no tail and a very thin young fox in the front garden – it’s all go here !
Zeb Bakes 
…”in the joy of living and the delight of spring”… Wind in the Willows. That swimming spot makes me think of Rat and Mole messing about in boats.
It’s like something out of a story book there, you are quite right :) But no boats; just swimmers, anglers and dreamers.
Here is Ratty though, snapped by Brian last year in the adjacent woods eating blackberries
What a brilliant photo (your Brian should do this professionally). I always imagine rats as unattractive and sinister, but this one’s positively cute!
Aw thanks Blue, Brian has no interest in what happens to his photos after he has taken them, he just likes taking photos. That photo was definitely good pr for rats, he looks like someone’s pet rodent there…. all shiny eyes and clean fur. But no one wants them too close to where they live, work and so on. Though there is a well known saying that you’re never more than 6 foot away from a rat in London……
What a beautiful spot. All the photos you have posted of places near your home have me convinced that you are living in a very special part of the world.
Hi Dan, it’s not the grandeur of the mountains but a more domestic scale beauty here, most of the places I have shown are all landscaped and created by our ancestors, the lake from an old quarry, the woodland managed, coppiced and grazed. There are very few wild places in the British Isles. I am currently reading a book called The Wild Places by Robert McFarlane and dreaming of small rocky islets off the coasts where the seals bask…
Good for you, Jo! Hope you had a good swim. How wonderful for you to have something that glorious close by!
I asked nicely if I could take a picture for you. They said no buildings and no people, I hope I met their brief :) I was in a really bad mood before I went, but after twenty minutes of bobbing about, I was feeling benign again :)
How completely wonderful – I bet you enjoyed that. Great picture of Ratty too.
Choclette, Ratty looks sweet in that photo but they make me jump when they scuttle about on the paths…. they come out to see what Fran the birdman has left for the birds.
Yesterday there was a Mexican standoff between the cat with no tail and a very thin young fox in the front garden – it’s all go here !