My river

This morning was spent at Orton Pit, doing the last session of willow clearance this season. Alex worked with Pete, chopping down satisfyingly large macho trees - I captured a great sequence of the two of them working on a particularly tricky one, but to be appreciated they really need to be seen as a set. I took a saw and found a quiet corner to work in, with willows of a more manageable size. I really enjoyed doing all the work on my own - but two hours of solid sawing and heaving branches has left my shoulders and upper arms really quite painful.

After taking the boys bowling this afternoon, I managed to sneak in a dog walk along the River Nene just before dusk. After a grey start to the day, a watery sun had appeared and I was hoping there might be a nice sunset. This never transpired, but I enjoyed the peace and quiet, and was excited to see the bright blue flash of a kingfisher darting under the red bridge. Somehow this view sums up the peace I always feel when walking along my river, a soothing end to a busy day.