All quiet again. A successful foray to look at the water levels at Dovestone reservoir.

All is calm at our house now. The southern branch of the family has departed. As far as I can tell they have left nothing behind on this occasion. As a rule something small is forgotten; the time before last it was a small rucksack and a pair of walking boots - my son’s second-best walking boots, This is not so spectacular as the German teacher visiting with a group of exchange students many years ago. After he had flown home we discovered a whole drawerful of summer clothes, which he hadn’t needed as summer steadfastly refuse to manifest itself during his stay!

 

During my son’s visit the weather has been most cooperative, not too hot but sunny enough to be out and about. Last night it rained copiously, hammering down on the skylight windows, but this morning the cloud cleared and the sun has come out again. 

Yesterday we successfully completed the family walk round Dovestone reservoir. Here’s a picture with the “dovestone” just visible in the background.

 

 

 

The water level was very low. 

 

In some places you could see the remains of old drystone walls from before the valley was flooded. 

In others it was clear that the stretch of ground had been above the water level for some time as plants flowers were beginning to grow.

 

Even the construction that I think of as the “plug hole”, usually filled with swirling water, was now fully exposed and dry. 

 

The higher reservoir was also very low.

 

We made slow progress because “beaches” were exposed and the small people had to stop and dig and hunt for interesting debris. 

It was interesting to see the grandchildren play in the same places where our children had played when they were small. 

 

At one point we split into two parties, one lot walking the shoreline of the reservoir, much further down the slope that usual, the other, with a buggy that prevented them manoeuvring the stiles to get down to the water’s edge, walking along the path through the pine trees. There they found copious amounts of ripe blackberries, but we had no suitable receptacles to bring them home with us. This did not prevent people from eating handfuls of ripe fruit. 

We went home for a picnic lunch and spent part of the afternoon watching a DVD of “Cats”, the musical. This was occasionally disturbed by the smallest member of the family standing in front of the screen trying to join in. On our bookshelves we found an ancient copy of T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” on which the musical is based. And later in the day the working members of the family joined us and we dined on fish and chips from the Elvis-themed chippy van “Cod in a Trap”. 

A short but successful family gathering. And suddenly summer is almost over. 

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!