Beautiful brown eyes

A quiet day started mistily with sunlight shining across the top of the white wisps floating down the wooded valley.

After dropping Helena off at work near Brimscombe, I wandered by the river, then on up to Swells Hill and the common. I chatted to a family taking photos of the location I had come to see. It was an old pond on the north side of Minchinhampton Common. I saw a photo last week of cattle drinking there probably sixty years ago, with a clear view behind them right across the Golden Valley. Now the view is totally blocked by scrubby trees and most of the pond is full of mud and reeds. A nearby spring trickles into the pond to still freshen it, but it seems sad and unkempt. The grandmother said that it used to get cleared regularly.

But before I reached the pond I found cows walking across the road in front of me right in front of a cottage. The dog who lived there seemed to be saying hello to one of the cows, which was grazing beside the stone wall a couple of yards away. I chatted to the dog too as he was so calm and friendly. We watched each other and I then took his picture. I used to take several friend's dogs for walks in this specific area, in the last couple of years. I really miss their company, particularly Mollie the collie.

This must be my offering as it has two of my favourite subjects; a gentle dog with beautiful brown eyes and a lichen covered Cotswold stone wall.