Work and Play

I'm failing to update my blog as often as I'd like. I know I'll never manage it daily as so many brilliant bloggers do, but I do like to post three times a week. It just hasn't been possible to fit it in as I've been so busy meeting writing deadlines, attending meetings for my voluntary work, gardening, shopping, cooking and housekeeping for three people and a dog, with the latter needing to go out three times a day.

We had a dog party in the park this morning. Some mornings Jade and I don't see a soul; other times we might meet a friend or two, but this morning there were four dogs running around and four owners to chat to. Jade and I enjoy that, but it does mean we're out a little longer than usual. This afternoon we went to Holes Bay in brilliant sunshine again, but the wind was biting and I think even Jade was glad to get back in the car afterwards.

Every time we come home now I can admire my minimalist front garden. We've certainly added some kerb appeal to the house. I spent Saturday morning out there again and cleared and planted another bit of the wall and prepared and planted the big stone pot in the centre - primroses everywhere.

Sunshine Over Holes Bay

We walked Jade at Holes Bay today. The sun shone and this has been such a rare occurrence recently, I just had to share it. I have to admit that I didn’t take the photo today. In fact it is over three years old. But the views haven’t changed and a photo taken today would be much the same. Our walk was a pleasant interlude in a day spent researching and writing about care for the elderly and the new funding changes proposed by the government for 1917.

Kingfisher Sighting

I felt really privileged today when I was out walking Jade along the Holes Bay footpath. I heard a peep-peeping and looked out over the reeds. Hovering over the water was this beautiful kingfisher. As I watched it turned upside down and streaked down into the shallow water. I was too far away to see what was caught when it emerged and flew to a nearby mudflat. When a large crow flew down to investigate my lovely bird flew away and I thought that would be the last I saw of it. We meandered on our way along the shoreline and suddenly there it was again flying low over a little inlet and singing away. We were treated to its dancing flight for a moment or two more before it flew off into the distance.

pic from Wikimedia Commons by Tony Hisgett

I've seen a kingfisher only a couple of times before and always on rivers. I didn't realise it would fish out of shallow seawater and hover without a branch to perch on. It was a lovely interlude in my busy day.

A Woman's Work in Retirement

It's one of those days. This morning I had to get my head around a judgement in a professional negligence case - all written in legal jargon, of course - so I could write about it. There's wet paint in my dining room which has to be traversed to get to the front door from the kitchen or my office, and I'm paranoid that the dog will get stuck to it, so I have half an eye on her all the time.

When it was time to take her out after lunch it was raining and along with some badly needed fresh air, we both got a bit of a drenching. The picture shows the path we took along the edge of Holes Bay. We didn't have that sunshine today though, just misty rain that got us pretty wet.

Now we're back and I've had to research intelligent lighting systems to write a web page about them. Unfortunately, I also had a broken night, more broken than usual, that is, so I've now stated to feel rather tired. Don't think I'm going to get this page finished today so I've given up for now.

There's a pile of ironing waiting for attention and it'll soon be time to get a meal for myself and my two hungry men (husband who's been painting, and son who is still out at work). Oh dear. Even a semi-retired  woman's work is never done.

Holes Bay Again

I took Jade along the side of Holes Bay today, so I thought I'd post some more pictures of the area. They were taken in the autumn of the year we moved here when I was doing lots of exploring. Things haven't changed much in the couple of years since. In the first one you should be able to make out the railway bridge on the line that dissects the bay in Poole harbour.  I'm quite blasé about that train trip now, but at first I got so excited whenever I travelled that way across the water.

The second pic shows where the footpath comes up against Cobbs Quay and you have to walk out and around the roadway to the other side of the marina if you want to continue beside the shore. A colony of Canada geese have set up home here so I always stop a bit short with Jade.  I don't want her even to think about chasing them. She does love to stalk and chase smaller birds if they come down to earth, but of course they always fly off before she reaches them.  I'm not sure what the geese would do and I don't think I want to find out.

Today we also saw one egret and a swan, as well as some seagulls. There seems to be one lone swan now at this end of the bay. We think it must have lost its mate during the summer. It must be feeling very lonely, poor thing. A couple of weeks ago I was very intrigued by the antics of the seagulls at low tide. They were all hunting for something under the water.  They would fly up a short distance, then up-end themselves and drop down beak first, ending up with their heads in the water and legs waving in the air, a bit like ducks who can do it without lifting themselves right out of the water first. I saw one doing this first, then looking around I noticed some others in different areas of the shallow water.

If you want to see more pics of Holes Bay, look here or here or here or here or here.  There's always something different to see at Holes Bay.

Upton Country Park and Holes Bay

We did a circular tour of Upton Country Park yesterday. This walk has quite a bit of variety and it can be exciting whichever way you decide to walk.  Yesterday we turned anti-clockwise to take the shoreline trail first along the edge of Holes Bay.  This bit of the bay is also a nature reserve and has a couple of  bird hides beside the trail.

Here we keep Jade on a long lead so that we can make sure she doesn't go off the trail or annoy people we meet coming in the opposite direction. 

She is such a friendly little soul and thinks everyone wants to make friends with her.  As soon as we see someone coming towards us she gets all excited and her tail is going nineteen to the dozen. If I don't get her under control she'll be jumping all over them. Most people like this and think she's adorable, but some just don't like dogs or are nervous of them, even a light weight puppy like Jade.

I am so busy with writing and other projects at the moment, that I don't have enough time to take her as far as I'd like, but we turned up towards the gardens of the house, getting a glimpse of the view I showed you yesterday, and went on through to a parallel path back homewards. But we don't stay on that path with Jade because a lot of people cycle that way. And when we we turn off and go into the woods, we don't meet many people, so we let her run off lead. She dashes around, nose to the ground like the spaniel she is, and sometimes we don't see her for a while, through the undergrowth beside the path, until she comes pelting towards us again. Yetserday at one point, we got quite worried as she was gone so long and we couldn't even hear her, but suddenly there she was behind us having doubled back and found the path again.

When we reach the gate at the end of this path, she sits down patiently and waits for the lead to be clipped on again.  And then it is just a short step back to the road where we parked the car.

Walking With Batgirl

A couple of weekends ago I had a visit from my daughter, granddaughter and the little dog they often  look after.  We were lucky enough to have some good weather for our walk in Upton Country Park along the top of Holes Bay.  When we met other walkers, they were all anused by the batgirl costume.

Holes Bay Path

I can't beleive how fast the time is going. It's over 13 months since we moved here and I took this photo almost a year ago. It's of the path alongside Holes Bay on one of my favourite walks.

The Butterfly House

On my usual route when walking to Holes Bay, I pass the side of this house, which is wildly decorating with masses of butterflies.

The Weathervane House

The Holes Bay footpath ends at this house with the amazing weathervane in the corner of its garden. The black pole is topped by a beautiful white galleon.



The lucky people who live in this house have a wonderful outlook.

The Holes Bay Hulk

This old hulk sits on the edge of Holes Bay near the footpath I frequently follow on my solitary walks. I took the photo at the end of last summer. Today I walked past it on my way home from the Coop shop, via the scenic route of course. I thought it was riding higher and decided to check my earlier photo to see if I'm right.

I'm sure I am.

You may already know that Holes Bay is in the farthest reaches of Poole harbour. You can't actually see the sea water in Holes Bay in my picture, but the reeds all around the old boat have channels through them that fill with water when the tide comes in. In the picture you can even see some growing in the sand that has been blown into the boat itself. They were not there today. Now the reeds have lost their green pigment and are straw coloured but still stand stiff and proud. I think the recent rains have supplemented the sea water to raise the old boat a bit higher than it was before.

Home Again

Here I am back at home again, after a great weekend with my grandaughter and then a pretty long morning driving. I'm feeling too exhausted to write, so instead here's another picture taken from the footpath along the shore of Holes Bay - my nearest spot to the sea in Poole Harbour.

Holes Bay with Camera

When I went for my walk today I remembered to take my camera.

After about 10 minutes I came across this view across Holes Bay to another suburb of Poole.

Some lucky people only have to look out of their windows to see it.

This dead tree covered with fruiting brambles, bindweed and other vegetation, makes the flat panorama more interesting.