Feed

14 April. Making nature pictures when we got home from our walk.

Katie (my sister) and I went on a litter pick in our wild area. We did this because more people had been walking near by so there was more litter. This is a picture of the rubbish we picked up. By Tom Macmillan

17th April. When we met Alison on our Priest's Gyhll Expedition she mentioned they had walked up from a pond in and out of which the River Keekle flows. When I lived in Moresby and before the 3 younger children were born we would often walk through Walkmill and out along the"Plastic River" aka the Keekle. We would usually stop at the stone bridge mentioned into a previous post and then turn back. Sometimes we might continue on and come out at the end of the path and walk back via the road. Although for a time the end of this path was closed off by a local resident. Another local resident fought to have it reopened. Only once had I continued on following the Keekle rather than the main path. I had been rewarded by the suprise discovery of a lovely pond. For years I had not returned as it is a long walk for little ones. Alison mentioned the pond could be accessed from the other end so on this day we drove and parked up ready for our adventure. To get to the pond we had to go through trees and undergrowth and cross a stream or maybe it was actually the Keekle itself leaving the pond! Need to have good look at a map as in all there are 3 ponds with a number of different waterways flowing to them. I have heard during our subcommittee meetings with the Parish Council and West Cumbria Rivers Trust that the pond was used when the area was used for open cast mining. More to learn there. The children were excited to see the pond appear. There were a number of birds on the pond including a pair of nesting swans on the far side. We saw where the Keekle entered a pond and also saw some of the plastic liner which seemed to have been washed down the Keekle and deposited there.

As we explored the banks we became aware of prolific bubbling in the pond. It would be in one area for a while then slow and move to another. It was fascinating to watch. There were clumps of what looked like eggs nearby by. The conclusion we came to was that this bubble making and eggs were linked. I love writing these updates for the ebook as it reminds me to investigate and learn more about these things we see on our adventures. The children were delighted to see lots of seeds by the pond. When Rosie was little she thought these were sausages growing in the wild. So she called them sausage plants and the name has stuck. They enjoyed helping scatter the seeds. Always a good trip when a bone is found as well!

We left the pond by walking all around it and were sad to see an abandoned white goods and rubbish there. On the track back to the road we also saw a number of tyres that had been fly tipped. With the above and the plastic from the Keekle washed down there is certainly potential for some conservation activities at the pond. As a family we could do a litter pick but would struggle to move the rest. I have been in touch with local councillors and the Rivers Trust and will see if anything can be done.

Very cold afternoon. Started clearing the boat of all the overgrown plants and grass. Also cleaned windows at the Greenhouse

A cycle up the Esplanade towards Monifieth with our litter pickers in a back pack ready to clean up.

Upgrade to tubs at front of the school was decided on. Road trip to B&Q then another day clearing and planting them up with new plants.