The best things in life...

Feeling lucky that we have had so many sunny weekends, Lizzie and I decided we ought to make the most of it, and so invested in two inflatable rings.  Taking them onto our idyllic corner of the River Teign, we had a cool, refreshing splash-around.  The Teign is a beautiful river, shrouded by trees so that we floated in and out of the dappled sunshine.  Every now and then, a fish would leap out of the water, and the delightful call of the kingfisher was confirmed by the ocassional flash of brown and turqoise flittering through the air.  We know a place on the banks where we frequently like to sit and watch the river roll by.  To me, it always feels like another world, peacefully unaffected by all the strife taking place across the planet.

I live in a stunning part of the country, and it really comes into its own on these long summer days.  The day after our river adventure, we went on one of my favourite walks - from Teigngrace, up the lane to Stover school, and then on through the woods to Stover Lake.  The walk takes many turns - you leave the village on a woodland track, but the trees give way at the highest point to reveal a beautifully enclosed field.  From here, it's possible to see all the way to the shining white tower of Haldon Belvedere, whilst at much closer range, wildflowers and grasses sway in the soft breeze, and hundreds of bees and butterflies enjoy a peaceful and undisturbed life.  This is one of my favourite spots, away from the roads, the tourists, technology and the hassles of our everyday lives.  There are also some stunning trees at this point, some with branches flashing out like giant forks of lightning.  

The Stover estate was first purchased in 1765 by James Templer, who landscaped the grounds into what is now a delightful country park.  It's a popular place with both locals and tourists, who circumnavigate the tranquil lake, feed the ducks, visit the interesting information centre, or just enjoy an icecream.  We tend to come up to Stover Lake on lazy weekends, and it is wonderful to see the wildlife changing throughout the seasons.  All too soon, the trees will reveal their autumn coats, the little spring ducklings will be fully grown, and the circle of life will complete yet another round.

Back into the woods for the walk home, we stop and play our usual game of pooh sticks at the usual bridge.  We've probably played this twenty times here, and I am yet to win a game.  On this ocassion, however, I manage to do even worse than my normal poor form, and my stick never appears on the far side of the bridge.  Another win for Lizzie.

Sometimes, especially in a Westcountry summer, you could do much worse than simply staying on your doorstep.  It's accessible, beautiful, interesting, fun, and totally free.