Meeting but not greeting

Today’s guest picture comes from my sister Mary who visited Stourhead with her friend Venetia.  As she knows that I like a bridge, she sent me this picturesque example.

I am still quite tired as having a very youthful visitor is not straightforward.  Getting down with the kids is fine. It’s getting up again that is such hard work.

We had a look at the forecast and as it said that it would rain all afternoon, we prudently went for a walk with Evie in the morning.  It was quite chilly so it was just as well that Evie was ready for any weather.

By co-incidence, we met three people on our walk who were very happy to see Evie.

On our way out, we met our neighbour Margaret…

…at the furthest extension of our stroll, we met our neighbour Liz (and Riley, who was pleased to see Evie too)….

…and just as we got home, we met Archivist Nancy.  Our friend Gavin was on hand to record this final meeting.

We wanted to show Evie the best of the area so this is us going past the sewage works.

On the river side of the path, we could see marks left by the recent flood.  Evie was very impressed by the hardiness of these snowdrops.  They had been many feet under water on Saturday night but they had survived to flower another day.

We reached the end of the town where we took this picture to record the distinguished visitors Evie and her mother Annie along with Mrs Tootlepedal.

I must admit that while Mrs Tootlepedal and Annie were talking to Liz at this point, my attention wandered to a favourite fence.

All these delights were within a yard or two.  A little further along the fence was the longest streak of this lichen that I have ever seen.

On our way back, we noticed a pussy willow…

…and a delightfully scented Mahonia near the co-op.

Mrs Tootlepedal and Annie went into the Co-op to do some shopping while I wheeled Evie three times round the car park.  She was asleep so I didn’t need to chatter away to her and once again found myself distracted by lichen, this time on the metal bars separating the car park from the road.

Evie did raise a finger in protest at the delay, so I pushed on when the others came out of the shop….

…and apart from stopping to identify the source of some very loud singing near the river…

…we didn’t dilly dally and got home just before the rain started.

Evie was very good and didn’t cry at all.

I made some soup for lunch from the remains of yesterday’s chicken stew with some added lentils and then we settled down for a quiet afternoon in, from time to time looking out of the  window to watch the rain come down and some birds appearing at the feeder.

Annie was happy to see siskins which she  doesn’t get at her feeder in London  The siskins weren’t very happy to see a chaffinch approaching….

..but at least one chaffinch did land and enjoy a seed or two.

Mike and Alison came round for afternoon tea and the chance to get to know the current holder of the title of The World’s Greatest Baby.

There was a teatime treat too as Mrs Tootlepedal had known that Annie and Evie were coming and had baked a cake.

We had macaroni cheese for our evening meal and Evie took to it with great gusto and some of it even made it into her mouth.

Once again she is sleeping peacefully as I write this, the perfect guest.

The flying bird of the day is a goldfinch.

Footnote:  To greet is the Scots word meaning to cry.  Evie is the least crying baby that I have ever met, I think.

Further footnote:  Our own robin was so cross about a foreign robin getting into the post that it insisted that I put this picture in too, even though it is not very good.