Tags
Hen Reedbeds, reedbeds, River Blyth, River Wang, Suffolk, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, walking, Wolsey Creek
Elinor and I took this walk nearly ten months ago, a week after the walk I featured in my last post. I hadn’t been at all well after my second Covid vaccine which I had had a couple of days after the previous walk so my only stipulation for this walk was that it be short.
Hen Reedbeds was opened in 1999 and is looked after by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust in conjunction with the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and Natural England. It shows what can be done with land affected by coastal erosion and rising sea level. It has a mixture of freshwater wetland habitats – reedbeds, dykes, pools and fenland and is home to many wading birds and raptors. It was developed specifically to encourage the breeding of Eurasian bitterns. Unfortunately, Elinor and I didn’t see many birds at all on our short walk which was only part-way along the Eastern trail.
There is a car-park just off the road which bisects the reserve but it is easily missed. Luckily we had no trouble finding it because, despite never having visited this reserve before, we drive along the road quite often and even drove past the entrance to the carpark on our way to Reydon Wood the previous week. There is a short walk from the carpark through trees, scrub and then reedbed to the road which separates the east and west areas of the reserve.
Taking our lives into our hands, we dashed across the road and entered the reserve. The road does get quite busy at times as it is the main road into Southwold and Reydon from the A12.
Unfortunately, the blue skies disappeared and we had quite a chilly walk.
I looked towards the farm and noticed that they had brought a horse out.
This was an interesting place and now that spring is on it’s way and the hides will probably be open again I might consider a re-visit in the near future.
H.J. for avian101 said:
It’s nice to hear from you again, Clare. It looks like it’s cold out there in the fields. I don’t know about in your area how cold this winter is but here, we are having colder days than usual. Thank you for your post and pictures. 🙂
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, HJ. So far, we have had a fairly mild winter, lots of light frosts but no snow that settled. Very gloomy and extremely windy. I am sorry your winter has been so cold. 🙂
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Laurie Graves said:
Yes, nice to hear from you. Thanks very much for taking us on such a lovely walk. The picture of Elinor in the distance reminds me of a Van Gogh painting.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Laurie. I can see what you mean. We are so close to the Netherlands here, just across the water, and the landscape is so similar. Her lone figure fits comfortably into the scene.
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Laurie Graves said:
Yes, beautiful!
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margaret21 said:
I’m glad you’re back! i’ve missed you, and am in awe of this detailed re-walking of somewhere that in reality you enjoyed ten months ago. An involving post as ever, also thanks to the photos.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Margaret. The re-walking is made easier by the photos and I keep a diary, though in looking back at the day I took this walk I hardly mentioned it just the having to go to the supermarket afterwards to buy food for Elinor who was ‘starving’! I also don’t go walking as often as I used to do so the memory stays clear.
I have missed blogging and having the time to interact with the fabulous people I ‘follow’. My time is taken up with other duties and I get tired and anxious. Snivelling!! 😀
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margaret21 said:
I think we all have our moments like that. Just keep swimming to keep your head above water!
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Helen said:
I hope the bitterns’ nest don’t get washed away in the current storms!
You know a lot of birds names – I am always impressed with the knowledge people have in such matters.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Helen. The bitterns haven’t started ‘booming’ yet so they should be fine. I have always been interested in birds and plants, nature in general, so I tend to remember more details though I still double-check with all the ID books I have. There are many things I haven’t a clue about and even if I’m given information on certain subjects I am likely to forget it almost immediately! It’s all relative, isn’t it? The conversations I have with my elderly mother when neither of us can remember peoples’ names or the title of a book or film we wish to talk about are absolutely hilarious!
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John Bainbridge said:
lovely to see those landscapes again after all these years.
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Clare Pooley said:
My pleasure John and thank you!
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Liz said:
Such a lovely way to start my Sunday by accompanying you and Elinor on this beautiful walk. Thanks so much for taking all the time and trouble to put it together. I can totally see why you plan to return! X
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Liz. I am hoping the hides will be available to sit in this year. I have difficulty identifying waders and need time to observe them without them seeing me and quickly disappearing. Minsmere gets so busy these days, it is good to find somewhere close to home that is quiet but full of interesting wildlife. I hope you and Hub are well xx
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Liz said:
There’s nothing nicer and more charming than to sit trying to identify waders! My favorite type of bird. We are well thanks, and hope you and the family are too xxx
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Clare Pooley said:
Thanks, Liz. All fine here xxx
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derrickjknight said:
I’m pleased you were able to get out and make this trip. Fine photographs of the landscape, which, I have to admit, looks rather too flat for me – although I would enjoy the birds when they are about.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Derrick. Yes, it is exceedingly flat there but beautiful in a bleak way. We are fortunate that a little further along the coast there are some cliffs and inland there is more rolling countryside, though none of it many metres above sea-level!
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Jill Weatherholt said:
It was nice to see this post from you this morning, Clare. I’m happy you and the family are doing well. Thank you for taking us along on this lovely walk. I’m counting the days until spring! Take care of yourself. xo
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Jill. Spring can’t come soon enough for me! We have yet another named storm arriving this evening; the third in four days! Xoxo
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Jill Weatherholt said:
Oh gosh…stay safe! xo
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Clare Pooley said:
xoxo ❤
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bowlandclimber said:
Good to see you out, even if awhile ago. Hope your health is back to normal after the Covid vaccinations. We all need a good summer this year.
What a contract your scenery is to ours up here.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, John. Yes it is very flat indeed all around that part of the coast with the danger of flooding from spring tides ever present. I will be so glad when these storms go away and we can have some spring weather!
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Clive said:
Good to see you back here again, with another of your lovely walks and photo sets. I hope you and yours are keeping well, and that you get the chance to revisit this walk – if Eunice has left any of the landscape for you!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Clive. I’m hoping there is something left, too as another reserve close to Lowestoft was flooded with sea water a few weeks ago which was unfortunate. I don’t fancy going out much at present because of all the storms and Franklin on it’s way this afternoon! Take care xx
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Clive said:
That sounds unpleasant, as the seawater will have done a lot of damage. Staying at home is definitely the right thing to do at present – the weather has gone crazy! 😊 xx
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Clare Pooley said:
😃
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susanpoozan said:
I enjoyed all those interesting views you took on this walk. I have never been to a reserve like this one, you opened my eyes as to what an be seen.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Susan. They appear quite bleak but so many creatures live very happily here. The hides are useful for hiding in and spying on the locals! May I say how much I have enjoyed reading all your posts over the past few months. I am sorry I haven’t been able to comment but I’m usually so tired I don’t think I’d make much sense!
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susanpoozan said:
So sorry to read that you are very tired, fatigue is so disabling.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Susan.
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New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
I hope you recovered from your shot without any trouble. The only issue I had was a sore arm after the booster. But it beats having covid.
It was nice to see the flowers, and the purslane which I’ve never seen. I hope you get to go again and are able to see some of the wildlife. It looks like a great place to explore, what we would call tidal flats here.
Thanks for the tour. Happy spring!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Allen. I certainly had a violent reaction to my second shot, though I could possibly have picked up a sickness bug while at the surgery which caused the unpleasant symptoms. I always get a sore arm every time I have a vaccine so I don’t worry about that, it was the violent headache which lasted for a couple of days and the being sick which was unusual. Fortunately, I got no bad reaction for my booster. I am still one of the lucky ones never to have had Covid – yet!! I would like to go to the reserve again as I hope to see purslane in flower as well as trying to find the hidden wildlife! Take care Allen and a happy spring to you, too!
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New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
I know two or three people who had a reaction but it lasted only two or three days, I think. They said they felt “washed out” and they’re young people. I’m sorry you had to go through what you did.
I’ll be looking forward to another post from the reserve!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Allen.
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tootlepedal said:
It is good to read a post from you again. I hope that you can get to the hide and see some of the wildlife on your next visit.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Tom. The reserve is so exposed that using a hide will be the only way I’ll see anything there. I will be waiting for all these high winds to abate before I go on any trips!
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tootlepedal said:
That sounds very sensible.
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germac4 said:
Your photos show a real beauty in winter, especially the long smooth still water. I agree with Laurie, the photo of Elinor walking by the water was like a Van Gough painting.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Gerrie. I find the bleakness of places like Hen Reedbeds very beautiful, though it’s not to everyone’s taste. Laurie’s observation was really interesting and made me look at the photo again with different eyes. I hope you and your husband are well and have had a good summer.
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germac4 said:
Yes, we are well and having a mild summer, which is a pleasant change.
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Retirement Reflections said:
It’s wonderful to hear from you. You’ve been missed! Thank you for sharing this walk with us. I agree that that one photo definitely looks like a Van Gogh painting Next time please dont stay away as long
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you so much, Donna! I will do my best to keep going but can’t promise anything. I love blogging but a lot of my time is taken up with family care and I get too tired to string a sentence together 😀
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Lavinia Ross said:
It is wonderful to hear from you again, Clare, and I enjoyed this wintry day walk. I hope you are feeling better now.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Lavinia. I am pleased you enjoyed joining us on our walk. Yes, I recovered fully in five days and had no reaction at all with my booster injection.
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paolsoren said:
Clare, I am so happy that you responded to my facetious comment to quercuscommunity. I notice a few names that are familiar particularly Derrick Knight. I have just reprised my post about my visit to Peterborough two years ago. The photograph of the wide flat lands are very similar and I tried to make a connection between this area and where I was brought up in South Australia. And I think I will enjoy following.
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Clare Pooley said:
I hope you do, John and I am pleased to meet you.
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Jane Sturgeon said:
Thank you for sharing your lovely walk, Clare. ❤ xXx ❤
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Clare Pooley said:
It was my pleasure, dear Jane and thank you for reading my post ❤ xXx ❤
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Richard Sutton said:
Hopefully, in the warmer weather you can visit this reserve again and enjoy time watching from the bird hide. It would be great to see and hear the bitterns. If so do let us know. Keep well as a family.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Richard. I have heard Bitterns a couple of times when I’ve visited Minsmere but I’ve never seen one. According to the Suffolk Wildlife Site on Facebook I gather they can be seen fairly regularly from the hides.
I hope you and your family are well.
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Jolandi Steven said:
There is definitely a time and a place for a short walk, especially when one isn’t feeling perfectly well. I do find that fresh air always lifts my spirits, even if I have to wrap up warm and limit the amount of time spent outside. I hope this walk did the same for you. I also saw in the comments that you had no side-effects from your booster shot, which is fantastic. Hope there are plenty of opportunities for you and Elinor to go walking – short or long.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Jolandi. The weather hasn’t been very pleasant recently and my daughter has been unwell (not Covid). Hopefully, it won’t be long until walks are on the agenda again.
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Jolandi Steven said:
I wish her a speede recovery, Clare, so that you can put those lovely walks on your agenda again. Also, I love spring, so hopefully there will be some lovely walks waiting for you during this time.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Jolandi. We are looking forward to a little spring weather, too. None today, however 😦
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Ari said:
Glad to hear from you, Clare. I hope you are feeling better now, the vaccine and the illness itself can be very tiring when it hits you. I am still recovering from having Covid in Janury.
Lovely photos. It’s a pity about the hide. There are some in a park near us that are closed for this reason, such a shame as they overlook the lake where the herons nest
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Ari. I am sorry you are still recovering from Covid. Some people definitely get it worse than others and some take longer to recover. I am absolutely fine and had no reaction from the booster at all. I will be out and about once the weather improves and now that the restrictions have been lifted here I am sure I’ll be able to use the hides.
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Ari said:
Thank you, Clare. I’m definitely better but the cough just won’t shift but is slowly starting to ease. I certainly don’t want to catch it again! lol
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Andrea Stephenson said:
It looks like a lovely walk and nice and flat since you weren’t up to anything strenuous. I hope you get out and about this spring Clare.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Andrea. That walk couldn’t have been flatter! I will definitely be going out once the weather improves; I don’t enjoy muddy walks very much! I hope you are keeping well xx
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sherijkennedy said:
Lovely to see more photos. These are so peaceful, and I love ‘bleak’ places like the similar bird and wildlife sanctuaries – both fresh and saltwater – that my brother and I visit in this area. They don’t build blinds for us here, but there are usually berms and gullies with high grasses and scrub trees that we can use to obscure our forms enough for the birds to relax when we stand quietly for a while. As long as it’s not crowded, he and I are both pretty good at easing along to keep from spooking them, and we take care to wear clothing that gives us some camouflage. One of our most effective strategies is to walk at angles toward where we see a bird or flock rather than straight at them, but our sanctuaries tend to have pathways that wend through sunken areas and fork off and join up again often, rather than have straight shot roads. I can see that would be difficult on the Quay Lane, since it’s so straight and exposed. Being on a dyke is much different.
I’m happy you’ve found some time for yourself and enough energy to post this. I hope spring brings more energy for you and that you get some time to return to these walks you love and that you treat us with by sharing them so beautifully. ❤
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Sheri. This reserve is one of the least sheltered I’ve visited! I am looking forward to gentler weather and hope I get the opportunity to get out more this year. The bird and wildlife sanctuaries that you visit sound wonderful!
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Lisa G. said:
That purslane might have done you some good, if you’d munched on it, Clare. 😀 It looks like a nice spot. And spring must be almost here for your neck of the woods, right? You must be seeing signs of it at home. xo
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Lisa. Purslane is one of those plants that have become very fashionable to eat and fortunately there is plenty of it about. I think I might have ended up sunk to my knees in stinky mud if I’d tried to harvest some of what I saw! Yes, Spring is nearly here and we have snowdrops and crocuses and miniature iris in the garden. Once the winds stop blowing fit to bust it might be quite nice to be out there xoxo
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Lisa G. said:
We also had a very high wind last night, and the barrels turned over. It’s been more like March around here this month.
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Resa said:
Lovely walk, Clare. truly hope you are feeling better!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you so much, Resa. Yes, I’m fine. xoxo
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Resa said:
xoxo
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Luanne said:
What a lovely walk. The photos and description really put me there, as you always do, Clare! I ought to start a ritual of walking with my daughter. It would be so much better than trying to meet for (fattening) lunch.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Luanne. Yes, walking is good and as my daughter has scoliosis and I am arthritic we never walk far but we have fun and talk and talk!
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maryannniemczura said:
Clare, I too would have enjoyed a short walk with you. Our attempts at the lake were thwarted by winds off the icy, snow-covered lake so we cut them short. I am sorry to hear you have been unwell since the second vaccination. Take lots of naps and keep your immunity up with vitamins and zinc. I hope it soon passes. Be well and take good care of yourself. I hope to see new photos of your walks in the future. oxox
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Mary Ann. I recovered quite quickly after my second injection and have since had a booster which didn’t affect me at all, I am pleased to say. I am hoping it won’t be long before spring weather arrives and you will be able to go for long walks by the lake without getting frozen!
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maryannniemczura said:
Clare, thank you once again. We still have snow. Winter lasts long here. The lake will once again be beautiful. Have a good week. oxox
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Charlotte Hoather said:
Glad to read your blog post Clare, my Mum was bad after her vaccine too. Lovely photos I can’t wait for Spring and warmer weather and lighter nights.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Charlotte. I can’t wait either! I hope your Mum coped better with her booster vaccine as I did.
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Ste J said:
I have missed walking with you through the fields and appreciating nature’s finer details. One of the good things about COVID is the way nature has had a chance to rebound, somewhat.
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Clare Pooley said:
Yes, very true and thank you.
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navasolanature said:
This really captures this flat watery landscape. It does look cold though but your writing creates a lot of insight into what is there and what might be hidden. I saw my first and only bittern at the London Wetlands in Barnes, near where I grew up. And this was just pre covid with hide open and one of those telescopes. But more thanks to a visiting geordie who had spotted it. So well hidden in the reeds. Hope you and Elinor are both well and able to walk more as the weather improves.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Georgina. Now that we understand more clearly the kind of environment that suits bitterns they will become much less endangered but not necessarily easier to spot! I am well but Elinor has not found the isolation of Covid easy to deal with because of her chronic anxiety. Now, with this dreadful news coming from Ukraine she has become even more frightened and physically unwell. I hope we can calm her before too long.
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navasolanature said:
Yes, and I am not surprised as I think many children and my daughters too have had their ‘safe’ worlds turned around in the last two years and now this. I taught my younger daughter some Tai Chi for relaxation but the movement keeps the mind restful but alert. But it is frightening however used to some of us were to the Cold War and the Arms Race. Hope you can find some ways to help. All the best.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Georgina ❤
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Maria Khan said:
Lovely walk!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Maria.
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Rachel Ball said:
It looks so cold!
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Clare Pooley said:
So good to see you here, Rachel! I hope you and your family are well. It was quite chilly especially with so little shelter.
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Cynthia Reyes said:
Thanks for the privilege of taking a walk with you and Elinor, Clare. Luckily for me, I didn’t have to experience the cold weather to do so!
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Clare Pooley said:
Haha! Thank you, Cynthia. The weather wasn’t too cold that day but it would have been better with a little sunshine.
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roughwighting said:
I’m so late to your walk, but I loved it. And yes, i can’t wait for winter to depart (it’s slowly doing so here in New England) so I can take long walks like these again. They are so healing. We have a place nearby that is a wild bird sanctuary with paths next to water that looks like where you’re walking here. It’s beautiful. Hope you are well!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you so much, Pam. Yes, we are all well and enjoying beautiful spring weather at present. Next week we have a return to cold weather but not for long, I hope!
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Lavinia Ross said:
I hope summer is going well for you and your family, Clare. Just a quick not here to let you know you are in my thoughts and prayers.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you so much, Lavinia. I’m afraid I haven’t had much time or energy for blogging this year. Lots of things to do, a large number of time-consuming jobs and duties and a few health problems. Nothing serious, just irritating. We also had a period of nearly three weeks without internet during April and though I found it annoying at first I got used to it very quickly and found other things to do in my spare time. I now find myself reluctant to turn my lap-top on and don’t look at my phone as often as I should and miss important messages and calls! I know I will start posting again some time because I enjoy it really and I miss my dear WP friends. Thank you for thinking of me, my dear Lavinia. I hope you and Rick are both well and your summer has been good and productive so far. ❤
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Lavinia Ross said:
I had a heart attack a few weeks ago, but I am back home and back to work. Every day is better. Every day is a gift.
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Clare Pooley said:
Oh, Lavinia! I am so sorry you have been so unwell but really pleased you are on the mend now. I will really try to keep in touch ❤️ ❤️
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carbonate said:
Awesome pоst.
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maryannniemczura said:
I have missed your posts full of beautiful photography along with your words. Seasons greetings to you and yours. ox
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Clare Pooley said:
How very kind you are, Mary Ann! I hope to be back blogging in the New Year with any luck 🙂 Seasons Greetings to you and yours, too! xoxo
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maryannniemczura said:
Blessings. oxox
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(Kitty) Cat Strawberry - Meow! said:
Hi Clare, I’m so sorry, I don’t know how I managed to miss your post and it was so long ago now. I hope you are feeling better now? Your photos as always are lovely. It’s a shame about the hide but I hope that maybe now things are a bit more ‘normal’ that they would be open,but the still calm waters look so beautiful even if the sky is grey. 🙂
I hope you’ve had a lovely Christmas and that the cold weather a couple of weeks earlier wasn’t too bitterly cold for you. It was warmest here in London but still it was icy cold and my window handle/lock got frozen not long after opening the window, lol.
Anyway I hope I haven’t upset you in any way? I emailed you before Christmas but haven’t heard back from you and was worried about you. I hope you and your family are well ? and i hope I haven’t done anything to upset or offend you as I dont think you are following my blog anymore so I hope I haven’t said or done anything to upset or offend? I truly hope not and I’m so sorry if I have. Please do let me know you are ok.❤️ Sending you and your family lots of peace and love and good health vibes for the rest of this and next year ☺️❤️
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Clare Pooley said:
Dear Cat, I am so sorry you have been concerned about me and no, you haven’t upset me at all. I am fine and so are my family but this past year has been such a busy and difficult one for me that I found I was unable to keep up with posting on my site and even reading other peoples’ posts became too time consuming. We had two weeks at Easter when we had no internet and then my laptop became almost unusable because it was so slow both of which added to my frustration. I was too busy to check my e-mails and messages over Christmas and New Year so I have only just found your WordPress message and then the e-mail you sent. Thank you for that and I will reply to it as soon as I can. My old aol e-mail address that you use is no longer recognised by my phone so the only way I can read my messages is by using my lap-top which I don’t use every day. Fortunately, I have got a new lap-top which works very well and so quickly! When I reply to your e-mail I’ll send you my gmail address which my phone does recognise! Take care, Cat and don’t worry! Happy New Year xxxx ❤
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(Kitty) Cat Strawberry - Meow! said:
Thank you for getting back to me and I’m so sorry you’ve ben struggling with so much. I got your email and will reply back again soon to your new address. Take care ❤ 🙂
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navasolanature said:
Thanks for still keeping up with my blog. I hope all is well for you and yours and 2023 goes better for everyone.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Georgina we are all fine as I hope you are. A happy and healthy 2023 to you too!
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bitaboutbritain said:
I’ve just looked at the date of this and am sure I’ve commented before – but anything’s unlikely at my time of life. Whatever – I hope you are all well? We need more from A Suffolk Lane!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Mike. We are all well as I hope you and Mrs B are too. I would love to start blogging again but life has been a little busy for the past year. Things are beginning to calm down so maybe I’ll make a start soon. Best wishes, Clare
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quercuscommunity said:
Sorry Clare, I seem to have missed this one. My excuse is that I’m lazy and disorganised. This is part one of my plan to remedy the situation, by visiting all the blogs I used to read.
Bitterns? A bogey bird for me, I’m afraid. I hear them booming but have never seen one. Someone at Minsmere once told me he’d just been walking along a path when one looked at him from the edge of the reeds. I went straight along to the spot – nothing. I hope you see one.
Hope you are all keeping well.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you for taking the time to read this post, Simon. I am amazed to see that I wrote it a year ago and it was about a walk I had taken in 2021! I haven’t been out much in the past year or so what with one thing and another and finding the time to write posts and read my friends’ blogs is still difficult. I hope and aim to do better because I really miss doing it!
Yes, bitterns. I would love to see one too. Another trip to Minsmere beckons or maybe Hen Reedbeds!
We are all well, thank-you as I hope you and Julia are too.
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Max Ethan said:
I’m glad you’re back! i’ve missed you, and am in awe of this detailed re-walking of somewhere that in reality you enjoyed ten months ago. An involving post as ever, also thanks to the photos.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Max 🙂
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