A couple of evenings ago R and I went for a walk around the nature trail before dinner, and bumped into another couple who were also out walking, but from what they said seemed to be residents, or at least house owners in the area, rather than holidaymakers. They were interested in the largely vain efforts I was making at the time to photograph a pair of male Lesser Emperors, which were whizzing up and down the path between Flagham Fen (the beaver lake) and Somerford Lagoon, and especially so when I told them what the dragons were, and explained that they’re quite recent colonisers of the Water Park. The woman then told us that she’s a member of a local nature group, and asked if I would send her any interesting photos I managed to take over the course of the week.
That day I didn’t manage any credible shots, but on our walk this afternoon R spotted this rather battered male Lesser Emperor as he zoomed past us, and between us we managed to track him down to this perch on the fence around the beaver lake. While he’s maybe not the classiest advertisement for his species, he’s clearly led an active and relatively long life, and in my view that’s interesting in itself.
Over dinner this evening the conversation turned to boats, and more specifically, L’s desire to hire one from the estate’s Activity Hub. Questions such as, “How will you get it onto the Mere, when we don’t have a dock?”, and “Even if you find a way of launching it, how are you going to get anyone in or out of it?” were batted away with a broad grin and an insouciant, “Oh, don’t worry – it’ll be fine!” In the end, despite all the quibbling, hilarity, and mickey-taking from around the table, she simply announced that she intends to go to the Hub tomorrow and arrange a 24-hour rental of some kind of boat. At this point I said, “H – can you please go with her, and inject some common sense into this situation?”, and L burst out laughing, and said “You really think he’s the sensible one here? Ha!!”
I’m torn between amusement and concern about all of this, and I’m experiencing a distinct sense of déjà vu: my mid-thirties Offspring seem suddenly to have regressed to their middle teens, and I suspect that tomorrow may turn out to be quite… interesting.
R: L2, C10, D75.
