Had a bit of an adventure. Cutting a long story short, I had an afternoon to kill, and it was lovely and sunny and I didn’t fancy rushing home to the (never ending) DIY. So I went into exploration mode. I pushed through (in a similar vein to the great Victorian gentelmen ) a new route between Hardwick wood and Saltram. Discovered a lost garden of Palm trees, baamboo thickets and ponds filled with gunnera in Saltram Park. Rediscovered the link south, skirting the corner of the now closed and reclaimed landfill site, through the old quarries to Billacombe green. And failed to push a new, and lmuch anticipated route, along a narrow spine of quarried limestone around the bus depot. The failure was due to a rather loose and exposed 3m rockstep which I would really rather not fall off. The final exitement was that I realised that I only had an hour and a quarter to get back to Colebrook to collect my car. Which I managed.

Having spent most of the morning helping Paul rebuild his utility room (it was only fair – I had helped knock the old one down!) I was given the task of emptying his VW T4 of rubble and less onerously taking Rhodes for a walk. After an initial period of looking sad and wondering what he had done to be sent off with me, Rhodes had a great time. He’d never been to Billacombe and thouroughly enjoyed the meadows and the old quaries. By the end of the afternoon I was his best friend ever! [aren't I boy?! WOOF!]

Decided to have a day off from my brother N and J and little-miss A. And as T was on holiday we fancied a trip further afield, so we caught the 08:40 to Newquay. We did the usual tourist things including the aquarium, which although it lacked the size of Plymouth’s it did have a certain charm. The cutest of the day has to go to the cuttlefish… altogether now.. ahhh!

Chilly but sunny day out. Photo above is of a kestrel about to stoop on a small fury thing of some kind. It either didn’t notice us about 10m away, or was feeling particularly hungry and wasn’t going to stop mid hunt. Definitely the closest I’ve been to a raptor kill.

thundering surf…

strong bitting wind…

typical british summer!

Little-miss A was *not* amused – “don’t like it!” “naughty waves” etc! I dont think it helped that she thought the sea was boiling hot Quite sensible thinking for a little un as the sea was ’steaming’!

Whilst going for a bit of a wander, T and I came upon the strangest stretch of Public Footpath I have ever seen. At the end there was a sign saying strictly no admittance, but as my map (via Viewranger on my E90) clearly showed a path. So I asked a guy dressed in ‘railway orange’ the route, and was told it was along the railway line! T was a little worried we’d be run over by a passing engine, which dutifully came along as we were on the narrowest part, at about 6mph mind!

Caught the train out to Paignton with T. Had a lovely time exploring, rounded off with chips on the seafront!