This afternoon Jackie dropped me in the Barton Common car park as she drove off to the Beachcomber Cafe where I was to meet her, Becky, and Ian, after they had partaken of coffee and cakes whilst I floundered through the mud.
A bridge has now been placed over the stream running through the common,
where the footpaths are waterlogged,
or so muddy as to make me fear that my walking shoes were in danger of being sucked off.
At one point a pool reflected the sunlight over Christchurch Bay.
The more open areas are populated with numerous memorial benches.
Before threading my way through the kissing gate leading to the golf course, I encountered a rather soggy group of ponies chomping the grass,
or chewing lichen off the gnarled tree branches. This pony’s collar is reflective and a crucial aid to motorists at night. Although the common is securely fenced, you can never rule out the possibility of these animals finding their way on to the road.
Once through the gate, I took the footpath alongside the course down to the clifftop.
More of the footpath has been eroded in the year since my last walk along this way.
On the final stretch of my journey, I monitored the late afternoon sun peeking through the yellowing clouds.
This evening we dined on Becky’s brilliant beef burgers and weird wedges with garlic and herbs. These burgers are built with layers of salad, mayonnaise, cheese, and pickles. I drank more of the El Solitto, Jackie drank Hoegaarden, Ian drank San Miguel beer, and Becky drank Lyme Bay strawberry wine.