A Spring Day (Sept 2nd '07)
Today, after going to feed the Kereru at the rehab aviary, with it being so nice, it seemed the ideal opportunity to go for a beach walk. However, before we got there, we took a moment to appreciate the second official day of spring. All around us, in the hedgerows and in the garden are flowers, their gaiety adding to the warm sunshine.
Fragrant Sol D'Or.
English Violets.
In the fields near the rehab aviary are sheep with their new lambs. Still very tiny and at the most a week old, there are new babies every day. This ewe was so proud of her offspring that she deliberately brought him over to pose for pictures. From his size I can say he is under a week old � probably only 5 days.
He stood totally transfixed until his mum told him to move to her other side, so she could give her best pose!
With my two neighbours kids, the dog and a willing chauffeur, we went on to the beach. I decided I wanted to walk further than normal, so part way the neighbours daughter and I got out of the car and made our way along a track through the sand dunes. We let the car continue to the most distant destination from where the occupants could walk back toward us, then we�d all turn and go back to the car and off for an ice-cream before coming home.
What we hadn�t expected was the damage done to the sand dune line by the sea during recent storms. Huge swathes had been undermined and collapsed, not least the exit from the track Suz and I were walking along.
The grasses that normally top the dunes were all over the place, strewn by the frenzy of the weather bomb we'd had! We were perched at the top of a near vertical drop of over 20 feet! How did we get down safely to the beach? On our butts, slowly, using hands and heels to ensure we weren�t toppled over by the potential momentum! It was liberating and tremendous fun! I�d do it all again! Next time with a plastic bag and no brakes!
It really was a long way to slide! Thank goodness I'd not worn good trousers!
The walk was lovely. The beach was busy and many people were enjoying Father�s Day with their children and dogs. I met many dogs and eventually was joined by my naughty boy, coming to meet me. We�d already walked a long way to be reunited and had a fair distance to go to get back to the car.
Before we got there I was told �follow me�. There are some amazing rock formations here and one I used to love had been damaged by the storms, causing a massive fall to the sand below.
The whole rock face gave way.
Thank goodness no-one was under it!
Eventually, when the tide and the weather have smoothed some of the surfaces, new rock-pools will develop and the lower faces will become the lodging places for mussels and other clinging shellfish.
Heath had been very energetic the whole time, making friends with many dogs including a cute black Cocker Spaniel and another elderly female Springer, whose tennis ball he tried to wreck! However, nothing really prepared me for the �stick� he insisted on retrieving from the incoming tide! These pictures speak for themselves! He went out twice and dragged it back to shore, swimming part way the first time. Trust me, lobbing this back into the water was no mean feat and certainly not one to keep repeating!
Spring really has come and it looks like being an amazing season. Oh, and yes, we did get that ice-cream!