Ratty

It's a good while since my last post but recently one or two people have left comments on older posts and I've decided to try and get back into things again. I'm starting with this photo of a water vole seen last week when out walking on the moors with my friend P. The banks of this small moorland stream were full of holes which are the entrances to the homes of water voles. I was aware that they live in this area but never expected to actually see one. I was really close to him (or her!) and he certainly knew I was there but he seemed quite unconcerned and I was able to take several photos. If you enlarge this one you will be able to see his little paws holding what I think is a piece of reed that he is eating.

The water vole is of course Ratty from Kenneth Grahame's wonderful story 'The Wind In The Willows'. Here he is with his friends Mole, Badger and Mr Toad of Toad Hall. The illustration is by Inga Moore who is my favourite of all the artists who have illustrated this classic book.

I didn't take many photos on the walk as is often the case when I'm with someone else. This is cotton grass which is actually a sedge, it grows in the boggy hollows of the high open moors and is a very attractive sight in May and June in what is often a rather barren landscape.

Towards the end of our five mile walk we were looking down onto the Wyming Brook which is rather spectacular and beautiful, and there is a lovely three mile walk along its banks which we've done in the past.

I never did get the final post from my trip to Berlin done so I think I'll try and do it over the next few days. This is another of the chocolate sculptures from Fassbender and Rausch's wonderful shop. It will be rather fun to go back through the photographs and try and remember where they all were!