We saw this artist on our walk this morning, unfortunately neither of us could understand each other, but she was sketching the trees along the walk, she showed me her sketches which were excellent.
I had a disturbing encounter this afternoon as I sat down on the river bank with Luna and my camera.   I heard someone clapping and calling and noticed Luna wagging her tail as if she'd seen a long lost friend.   As I'd been hidden by the Weeping Willow I showed myself and this elderly man, who was clutching a paper bag, called out 'He looks friendly, but you don't'   I answered what did he expect when he's calling my dog across the river.    He continued to call and try to get her attention so I called her away and she went under the Willow tree where he couldn't see her, 'where's he gone, what have you done with him' he asked and just stood there.   Eventually he carried on but as it's a linear walk I knew he would be back and took Luna indoors.   Sure enough he came back and stopped across the river from my garden, again with the paper bag in his hand, which I wondered if it contained treats.   After a while he carried on.   I wish now that I had taken a photo of him and I'm relieved that Luna doesn't go into the river, it could have been a different outcome if she did.    I thought she was safe in my back garden but this episode has left me feeling quite shaken and very vulnerable.     It's a shame as she loves sitting on the river bank watching the world go by, but I now feel I need to have her within my sight 24 hours a day.   
You might think I'm being paranoid but a few weeks ago 84 dogs that had been stolen were seized from a travellers site not far from here, and the poor animals can't be rehomed as their microchips have been removed!!