The Bovey Loop

with Angie & Sandra. A dodgy start to the day, but the weather improved as the day went on. I was running in my new walking shoes, as you do. :-D A lone male Grebe on Bradley Ponds. We came across 4 sweet little pigs, possibly Oxford Sandy and Black breed, out in the backwaters, next we observed a Blue Ground beetle crossing the country lane, then a car came around the corner, we moved back into the hedge so that it could pass, all three of us holding our breath.... phew!! The car missed the beetle.  On we walked, the hedgerows full of beautiful native plants, the honeysuckle making an appearance. I love the smell of honeysuckle. We had a table booked in the outside seating area at the House of Marbles. A perfect pit stop. Walking back through Bovey Tracey we were admiring a garden full of double poppies, foxgloves, Canterbury bells, plus wacky topiary. An elderly gentleman back in the garden, we got chatting, he invited us in to take a closer look. He was obviously very proud of his patch,  he unlocked the gate so that we could wander around his back garden as well. He chats with everyone that stops, Canadians, Americans, Australians, & of course, us. He gave us seed for the poppies, & Canterbury bells, plus seed for Eccremacarpus scaber which I spotted growing in a corner. A very well established Royal fern - Osmunda regalis, had been growing in the same spot for more than a hundred years according to John. I asked his name as he gave me a dinky potted  Morning Glory seedling, which I will be calling John. A wonderful 30 minutes, I'm not sure who enjoyed it most. I promised to drop some seed into him when I next pass through BT. We stopped at Arnolds, hardware store to buy a copy of Ten Circular Walks around Bovey Tracey in aid of the Brake charity, compiled by a family who lost a young son in a road accident. The proceeds of the book going to the charity. Back at Angie's we shared out the flower seed then it was time to head home. At 4pm it was exceedingly warm, thankful that it had remained cooler for our walk. The rusty barn that I blipped for Derelict Sunday back along is looking very sad, sheets of the galvanised roof are now hanging, some of the cob wall fallen away. :-( So sad to see it looking so neglected.
Back home I game John a good drink of water, tomorrow I'll treat him to some fresh compost, hopefully just what he needs to flourish. I joined him with a can of Magner's.

Thanks to Ingeborg for hosting Abstract Thursday - Shapes