Adventures on your Doorstep
When you live somewhere it is so easy to miss what is on your doorstep and think nothing ever changes, but walking around the yard there are so many changes, it never seems to stay still. The wild flowers on the bank we encouraged just over two years ago, create a riot of colour behind Misterton. Every morning as I clamber up the stairs rushing to make sure Nate is not late for school, they look so picturesque I have to stop at the wheelhouse door and breathe their beauty in. Pausing to appreciate natural beauty is a wonderful way to reset your sense of self.
On another morning, we were feeling very pleased that our new morning routine meant we were ahead of schedule for getting Nate to school, and just as we were about to leave Simon shouted quickly the swan had her cygnets. We stopped again to creep carefully and quietly towards the nest and take a peek at the brand new life that had arrived. “Mum I can see four”, said Nate in a voice full of happiness, “which one do you think is Jeffrey?” he asked. Jeffrey is Nate’s chosen name for something that needs one, he wants a pet called Jeffrey and likes the idea that one of the swans is his. I tell many people the swans are our feral pets, as we feed them swan food throughout the year, and try and keep them safe. Swans are very loyal and seem to have adopted us as extended family, and have even entered an uneasy truce with our cats. However, once the cygnets arrive they become incredibly protective and the uneasy truce is definitely in the balance. I was able to set up my camera to film the cygnets on the nest over their first 24hours and if you want to see how cute they are, take a look at my short video on YouTube
As we approach the wonderful months of summer we decided we needed to add a couple more experiences to ensure our offer is truly inclusive for all ages. This season we have added double kayaks, and Stand Up Paddle boards (SUPS), these are both in response to our customer feedback. We offer lessons on the SUPs and also full day hire, but our full day hire is only available to those who have experience and can prove this to us with a self rescue. Lessons with us ensure you are given lots of information about how to self rescue, how the tide can affect your paddling and what to look out for with other boats, canoes and kayaks on the river. They have been proving very popular over the last week.
Nate has also been enjoying learning about the SUPs, and I have just become the proud owner of a pair of neoprene shorts, so who knows I might try not to fall in soon too. There is so much to explore and enjoy on our own doorstep we really are so lucky. We also have lots of guests to meet, welcome, and meet again, our life is full or variety and friendship at Hippersons.