Moving out

The removals were done and dusted by half-past ten, so I called the agents and arranged to meet them at half-past one, and went blackberrying down the hill.  Still plenty coming, and quite a few sloes, haws and hips.  Someone told me that rather than wait for the first frost, you could pick the sloes early and freeze them...cunning!  The elderberries were sparse, as many of the elder trees were chopped back last winter.  The squirrels had already got most of the hazels.  Ludwell Valley Park is a good place, a slice of countryside in the middle of the Exeter suburbs.  I hope they keep it.

In the afternoon, I headed down to Otterton Mill with David and Sue, for a last stroll down the Otter.  There were some good-sized trout in the shade, where we could see the river through the swathes of himalayan balsam, and a buzzard briefly circled from the trees on the opposite bank, but sadly no kingfishers.  Wendy joined us for cream tea, not-quite-Devon-style with jam then cream then wasp.  Then she and I pottered down to the sea at Budleigh Salterton Lime Kilns.  I can't get much further from the sea in the UK than Worcestershire, so it was nice to say goodbye.  It was a flat calm, with no waves, the visibility was perfect, and the horizon razor sharp.  I followed the Budleigh tradition, and managed to throw a stone onto a ledge the low cliffs over the Otter, which means I'll return some day.  I hope not before too long.