Day 3 - otters and offs

Things settling into a predictable pattern - huge breakfast, set off on the bikes, cafe stop, lunch stop and back to the mill.

Today we set off for an otter 'sanctuary' which also housed pine martens, ferrets and other long furry things with sharp teeth. We were very excited when we realised we'd arrived just in time for the otter's feeding session but excitement swiftly turned to dismay when we realised that they were tucking, with great relish and rather gruesomely, into duckling carcasses. Somehow we were expecting them to be fed fish which seems a rather more ottery sort of thing. On our way home Son 2 decided to try and reveal to some of the other teens the secret of hands-free riding. Unfortunately he chose to do it just as his bike hit a large piece of pointy road debris which simultaneously punctured his front tyre and pitched him off into the verge. Fortunately no serious harm done (again) but still lots of elbow-sourced blood and a requirement for a very large dressing to cover over the wound. The small group who'd stayed to help fixed the puncture, cable tied the shifters so they'd work and generally made it possible for Son 2 to complete his second slow roll home of the holiday. We eventually caught up with the main bunch who'd stopped to deal with yet another off - a coming together of a twitchy 9 year old and a nervous rookie teenaged cyclist. No damage except to the pride of the 9 year old and the nerves of the teenager. Final off of the day was within the final km when tiredness got the better of one of the little girls and she and her bike parted company after straying unexpectedly vergewards. Luckily only a scraped knee. Later, over cake, we all agreed it was just as well that tomorrow was a rest day.