Best Walk Ever!

Miss E came in to our room at about 8am and asked was it time to go on our walk yet!!
Soon I said! After hunting down the school bags (for emptying) and the school uniforms (for washing) and the snack boxes (to wish that I'd remembered to take out the half eaten banana when they came home nine days ago!)
Eventually we put on our muddy boots which were by the front door where we left them yesterday and set off.
They ran practically all the way to the woods so they could climb the trees and have a proper explore.
Best woods ever!!!!
First of all there's a huge tree to climb. There's a rope to help them up and a platform of branches to stand on. Just brilliant!!
They spent ages climbing up, jumping down and climbing up and jumping down again.
Then it was deep into the woods where we discovered a proper swamp - complete with an island in the middle with a fallen tree across to it. Famous Five meets Swallows and Amazons!
We found a badger's sett, rabbit holes, the start of the snowdrops, fallen trees everywhere, creepers and vines...... It was magical and my intrepid daughters loved every minute of it!
They managed to climb over a tree branch and jump to the field on the other side of the stream. I tried but had to give up when I got skewered onto the branches!
They went to investigate spots further up where we could jump over.  And, as undignified as it was, we eventually made it to the other side of the stream and set off to the pub!
Annoyingly I'd already bought a shoulder of lamb for dinner tonight otherwise we could have had Sunday lunch at the pub. As it was we made do with a bowl of chips between us, beer for Mr K, lemonade for the Little Misses and a pot of tea for me.
The people at the table next to us had to laugh when the Little Misses complained that it was after 2pm, they hadn't had any lunch and all we got them were a few chips and I suggested they call social services!
Then it was the walk home. More gates to climb and swing on, more muddy quagmires to splodge through, more flint to collect from the fields, and more weeeeeeeeeee jumps and sprints with Daddy.
When we got back to the car - we'd driven to get Archie used to being in the boot for a short time - Miss E declared it the "best walk ever"
Dinner wasn't a triumph - the lamb was weird and gunky and tasted funny. I will be getting my money back! - and I discovered that red potatoes are no good for roasting. But the roast parsnips were perfect so I just had loads of those with gravy!
Crappy lamb aside it was a great day.