To school and home again, and again, and again.....

....that's what it feels like sometimes! Especially now that Finn is at the p4 to p7 school where they get out a bit later, and a lot slower, and its taking around half an hour longer to get back home.

Having said all that we are very lucky to live only 15 minutes walk from school and we never ever drive (maybe 4 or 5 times in a whole year). And the vast majority of the walk is along a path (see photo below) which skirts the old part of town and runs past Finn's school and then on to Angus'. Angus' school is right beside my brother and sister-in-law's house so I tie Kipper in their garden in the morning while I wait for Angus to go in (Finn is a big boy now and is left by himself, in fact this morning I only got a vague wave - sigh) - I hate the idea of bringing a dog into the school grounds, especially one as bouncy as Kipper, so it is ideal to be able to leave her nearby.

Angus is off ahead on his scooter

Once Angus has gone into class Islay and I pick up Kipper and make our way home along the river (Islay's pre-school nursery is just next to our house). And this is our route.

We join the river at the wier - this morning we noticed a large willow branch which must have broken off in Tuesday's stormy weather.



We pass the 'beach' and negotiate whether it is a stone throwing morning or not.



We go under the Waterloo Bridge - the stonework is lovely - and Kipper usually has one of her many swims.




Past the chestnut tree - the conkers aren't really ready yet but we really must spend quite a while checking that mummy is right.



We pass the weeping willow - there is usually a moorhen hiding nearby.



We go over the mill race (which Angus fell into a couple of years ago in the winter, when the water was very high, and was being swept downstream by the time I was able to jump in and fish him out. He is VERY accident prone.) - and then past the first church.



We go under the Nungate Bridge - our main duck, swan and gull feeding point - and Kipper looks for crumbs of bread and has another quick dip.




We head towards the Victoria Bridge - which has recently been repaired and painted and looks very smart.



We head down the lane and past the second church.




The side entrance to the Manse is in the lane and has a lovely old door.



Next to the Manse door is a fascinating piece of metalwork. I have no idea what it's purpose was. It's also next to a large slice of stone set at the base of the wall.




Then we are back home. Kipper goes into her cage to dry off, Islay goes into nursery, and I wonder what I should be doing for the next 2 hours. Sewing, cleaning or cooking?

P.S. This was all prompted by me getting fed-up of showing endless photos of my own sewing (there's more stacking up, aren't you lucky?!). I'm also well aware that our morning walk will be getting wetter and colder over the next wee while. And while I nearly always enjoy it it is even more pleasurable just now. Thinking about all the lovely things we pass, and documenting at least some of them, was a fun way to focus on what we are so lucky to have on our doorstep.