Views From The Trail

We have a great running trail close to the house which is lush and green in the summer, and muddy and challenging in the winter. It's a 9-10km very hilly loop. It is an ideal playground, and I've yet to see another person on it (The arrow in the picture marks our house)

The sights and sounds of running water...

...or ice are always close by

And the nearby mountains provide excellent views

Strangely, this trail is also home to a London bus

Last road-taxed in the UK in 1979, it sits in a spot far from any road, at a point that's completely inaccessible by anything other than foot or bike

It's slowly rotting into the landscape

And it always makes me smile when I run by

Twitcher Alert

During the past week we've noticed some new neighbours. It might be colder than usual weather driving them south, but for the first time we've scores of Northern Lapwings (or Peewits) taking up residence at Chez Nous. Very nice they are too

Working

Here is Lucius, hard at work on various birthday card masterpieces at her wonderful new Xmas easel. Note the double coffee cup holders for those long nights before a deadline

Outside our bedroom window...

Sunday Run

Today I ran from the village of Bielle to the top of the Col De Marie Blanque, on a 21km loop. It's a beautiful area, and the village is only 20 minutes drive from our house. It feels like Dartmoor, but with snowy mountains in the background. It was lovely to run and watch the sun rise over them.

This is a view of Bielle, and about 2.5 km of road between me and a flask of coffee (and some dry socks)

Here's the stats!

XMAS 2011

We were back in Dorset for xmas. Here are some highlights:

This is The Pig; a small hotel in the New Forest where we held our annual work xmas party. Employees and partners only. We spent a couple of days taking walks, finding nice pubs, and eating splendidly

the Pig was an old hunting lodge near Brockenhurst

With a great restaurant in a lovely conservatory

Mmmmmarmalade

Much of the food is grown in their gardens onsite

The car-park boundary was a good-looking little wildlife haven

We walked to Bucklers Hard: an old shipbuilding village, where many of Nelson's boats
were crafted

Rad

Thanks to Sarah, Tony, Sophie and Bell for the epic kids party

The annual mud day was another great success...

...with no shortage of mud

Wellies on the beach at Branksome

Lucius and Mama sharing lunch at Poppy Mae coffee shop

Lucius has her first 'Babyccino'

Bournemouth Pier under grey skies

Xmas morning! And Santa and Rudolph obviously enjoyed their treats
(On xmas eve, Papa asked "Lucius, should we leave port or whisky along w/ one of Nana's mince pies for Santa?". Lucius replied " Whisky and port!" Her father's daughter.)

We had much delightful unwrapping

Shiny trinkets

And many toys. This is 'Baby Carlos'. She's part of the family that live in Lucius's doll's house. More to follow on that one...

Delicious xmas lunch at Mel and Phil's

Melanie's amazing xmas cake

Park Run with Jamie

Lucius made full use of her first ever digital camera from Aunt Cindy, Uncle Matt, Caleb and Bui

We took the Studland ferry across the Poole Harbour entrance, on our way to Swanage to meet our friends Dave, Vicky and their son Harry, who now live in New Zealand

The boat had this lovely painted monkey's fist knot hanging from the bell

Swanage beach

Tomfoolery

Looking past Swanage Pier towards Old Harry rocks

Who's driving?

Back a bit further... bit further....

Lovely light, towards the Isle of Wight
(and a wave to Alex's parents)

A cosy pint in a very xmassy Corfe

And back home, Lucius models her great new moon jim-jams from Santa also

Happy New Year 2012!

Here's Neil sampling the tradition of taking a bracing dip off the Dorset coast on New Years Day to rinse off the year gone by