Out and about and at home ...

Walking up Rotten Row last Monday (20th April) our current daily exercise ...

we noticed these amazing roots on several huge trees up on the bank ... 

The ground has been eroded by the weather by at least 4-feet ...

exposing these dramatic structures ...

around which many stories could be written ... fairies and elves come to mind! 

Same walk but the 'other way' on the Tuesday ...

and we see that the Mallard family appear to be doing well ... I think she's still got all her chicks.

Walking down (thank goodness!) Rotten Row I realised from here we could see the Thames ... this view is just above Hambleden Lock.

We can also see the cluster of buildings that is Yewden Manor a Grade II listed building.  The oldest part of which was built late C16-C17 and is now four apartments.

Arriving at Mill End (a hamlet of just 32 houses) and Mill End Farm and the young calves ...

are so inquisitive and cute!

Back at Still Rockin' we spend another very warm day on the deck reading and just watching our small world go by ...

The female Mallard in these photos has been visiting the mill stream since we arrived in late October ... she is easily recognised by what looks like her tongue which hangs from her beak all the time ... so ...

it was lovely when she brought nine teeny, tiny chicks to see us!

More cuteness!

See her tongue?

The following day (Wednesday 23rd)  she was back again on the grass but it was difficult to see if she still had 9 chicks amongst the daisies!

She walked them for a while and then came back to behind us ...

where ...

she encouraged them to jump ... George was disappointed that he didn't manage to snap a photo of any of them in mid-flight!

Our daily walk that day was to Medmenham Meadow ... a flat walk  along the river as my calves were complaining about all the uphills that we've walked in the previous days!

Wow! That was a very lucky shot to get the Red Kite on the ground ...

and yet another lucky one as he flew towards us.

All in all a good day, lots of cuteness and nature, of another warm, sunny day and being safe and well ... as we hope all our readers are.