Day 24: East Molesey

English people know about birds. I noticed this at the Embroidery Retreat and with cousins in Cheltenham. It is being reinforced here by Sue and Alf, who have a whole range of identifiers for my classification of 'duck'.

This, although the photo is not good enough for identification, is a crested grebe, which, of course, brings to my mind Molesworth's Botany Walk ("The crested grebes are mating").


This morning was sunny. The temperature was only forecast to reach 11C (double figures created much excitement on the BBC late news last night) but it was pleasant and warm in the sun. We spent the first part of the morning sitting on the deck of the hotel dining room overlooking the river. Sue sketched and took photos, Alf played his mouth organ and I stitched. 

Most of the trees are still bare, but there is a magnolia in full bud in the property next to the hotel.


I managed to add the stumpwork leaf and the silk purl stems to my violet from yesterday's class.










We then went for a walk across the bridge, looking back at our hotel. The rounded section is the dining areas, and the area to the left of that is the outdoor decking we had earlier occupied.


The river is still running high.
















Across the river, on the other bank are a few boats for hire and a narrowboat that looks permanently moored - and, of course, more duck-like things.






There were lots of people out - with kids, dogs, scooters, bicycles and prams.


We walked down the muddy path to the weir.










We found where the swans were building their nest.



















We then walked back over the bridge and along the bank near Hampton Court. We are hoping the boat to Kingston and Richmond will be running tomorrow, but there seems to be a number of cancellations - probably because of the height of the river.





There are curiously pollarded trees.














Back in the hotel late this afternoon I managed to almost finish my violet. All that is left to do is to put some gold pieces in the centre of the stumpwork violet. I'm thinking this might end up on a box lid, if I can find one of a suitable one.

There was no sunset visible tonight, such was the heavy cloud cover. We did, however, notice a tribe of wood pigeons in the larch tree next door.













We were all pleased to hear that Christine's  minor surgery went well today.

Tomorrow's forecast is for an astounding 16C. We are hoping the ferry will be running to Richmond, or at least Kingston. We will have a good time, regardless.