Sunday walks

After some early mist, we had a gloriously sunny and  mild day, enabling us to sit outdoors to eat and read while the sun was up. After breakfast we walked up the lane that runs up the side of the Washford Valley, overlooking the old industrial site where the paper mill and a melanine ware factory once operated to reach St Decuman's Church for the Parish Eucharist. The benefice has recently become vacant and it was the archdeacon of Taunton who was the visiting celebrant, making contact with church officers charged with making a parish profile for the job description. 

At St German's this morning, the archdeacon of Llandaff is visiting and preaching for the first time in the parish vacancy. What a coincidence! There were over thirty of us for the service, in which we were given Communion by intinction in our pews. Well, that's a first for us!

After the service we went down the lane nest to the church to visit St Decuman's Well. It's set in a nicely cultivated hillside garden, with a roof covering a wooden entrance gate - a lovely touch. St Decuman was born and bred on the banks of Milford Haven waters in the late sixth century and migrated to Somerset, it is said, on a raft with a milking cow for company and sustenance. He established a hermitage on the hillside above Watchet and practiced a Gospel healing ministry until he was murdered by a notorious local villain in 706AD. In those days the realm of Celtic chieftains embraced both sides of the Bristol Channel.

We walked back and sat in the garden reading until it was time for lunch. I'm taking advantage of having uncluttered time to finish reading 'Winter in Madrid' in Spanish. It's slow going, but worthwhile.

After lunch I walked to Washford along the footpath which now occupies the trackbed of the old mineral railway line from iron ore mines up in the Brendon Hills down to Watchet Harbour. It's a five mile round trip. Twice I got an opportunity to photograph passing steam trains, but wasn't all that successful. I should have used burst shots to benefit from my trackside viewpoint of such a huge moving object.

I arrived at the cottage in time to accompany Clare to her daily swim, twenty minutes today, double yesterday. My walking mileage is up again to nearly nine miles today. I didn't think I'd ever get this fit. My right ankle is not giving me as much trouble as it did before, for which I am most grateful. I went out again before supper to photograph the harbour at high tide, and climbed up on to the east side cliff top for a gloriou sfull sunset view. The almost full moon was sitting on the horizon in the Quantocks as it reached to top. A truly marvellous moment.

I spent much of the evening uploading photos rather slowly. The internet is adequate, but not for half a dozen devices at a time. A large dose of patience was required before I could see the results of my day's shooting.