Last day

For our last day in Holne, mild and still with neither wind nor rain, it was a toss-up between a stroll up the Dart at New Bridge to the north east of our cottage or a stroll up to Hembury Castle to the south east, with notice of previous visits to this old castle noticed at references 1 and 2. Furthermore, BH was convinced that we could see the castle from our bedroom window. Notwithstanding, the vote went to New Bridge.

Where it was very wet. There was lots of moss. Lots of some relative of carex pendula, noticed here from time to time. Some frilly fungus on the end of a log. While the ice cream van from whom we have made the occasional purchase in the past was missing, despite the driver telling us, some years ago now, that he was there every day bar Christmas Day. Or at least that is what I remember. A remember more or less corroborated at reference 3.

Quite possibly the feature known as Horseshoe Falls. A miniature version of Niagara Falls.

A new to us nature walk gate latch. Simple and effective; within the compass of almost any blacksmith.

A little effort and I ran down the pond on the other side of the river, beyond the car park. I remember it as being more enclosed, a tank even, than it turned out to be. But there was some late nineteenth century ironwork. This morning I asked Bing what the white flowers were, and failed, but Google turned up Aponogeton_distachyos fast enough. Which I might have found even more quickly had I read reference 3 beyond the bit about ice cream. Yet another flower from South Africa which has made it up here. They must be neck and neck with the Mexicans.

On the way home we passed once again the bookshop mentioned at reference 3, the bookshop in sheds in the garden of an older couple one suspects of having moved to Devon from Surrey or Hampshire. Possibly military. But on this occasion we decided we had enough unread books already.

Later in the day I strode out onto Holne Moor, to catch the cuckoos already noticed at reference 5. Not out long, but long enough to feel the pull of the wide open spaces. The still and the wind.

The water supply for a nearby farm, what I believe is called a leat. But not, I think, how the water got from Venford Reservoir to Paignton, a problem first mentioned at reference 5. On which subject I have yet to have a reply to my message from South West Water. Perhaps the contact page I used was really intended for reporting leaks and operational stuff like that. No place for heritage.

The reservoir.

Heading back to the cottage, plenty of gorse in flower. Also the low trees, said to be favoured by cuckoos when looking for nests on the ground.

Not a long walk, maybe two or three miles altogether, but long enough for me to puff a bit on the uphill, outward leg. Must be different muscles than one uses on a bicycle.

PS 1: in the course of writing this blog, I came across the snap above of the Chelsea football team. It struck me that team working given all the different languages which look to be involved must be a bit of a problem - with footballers probably not being that strong in the foreign language department. Can't devote one's childhood to the sport and do books. Maybe its all very physical and everybody can get by without too much in the way of words. For some reason I associated to the large French companies in which the working language, even in the Parisian headquarters, is English - which must be annoying for any locals who might happen to work there. Also to reading that Paul Gascoigne was not very happy when playing for Lazio in Rome for this very reason. Not much fun being stuck in a foreign land without the language, even if you are getting well paid.

PS 2: and for once in a while, a problem with (Google's) Blogger which meant that uploading pictures was not working. For several hours.

Reference 1: http://psmv2.blogspot.com/2015/04/tree-visits.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2017/10/hembury-woods.html.

Reference 3: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2015/04/botanical-walk.html.

Reference 4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aponogeton_distachyos.

Reference 5: http://psmv4.blogspot.com/2021/05/dartmoor-tweets.html.