As Diana Was Not Working,

until late this afternoon,

 we decided to eat our late breakfast/early lunch in Kelsey Park, 

 since our last visit the geraniums in this bed have been replaced by marigolds,

 and the palm,

 has a spike of flowers soon to become seeds growing from its top,

 a look past the bamboo,

 to the River Beck,

 that flows,

 through the park,

shorts for today as it was a tad warm,

 we crossed the bridge,

 over the Beck to the gated no dogs area, 

 and was soon mobbed by waterfowl, 

 the moment Diana got out the plastic bag with peanuts in, 

 apparently my Grandmother and myself had been doing irreparable damage to the ducks for many years by giving them bread all though the 1950s,

 but now it is peanuts or nothing, give it a few years and I bet someone finds out that peanuts damages them well, as the nut are too oily for them or the increased demand for peanuts will lead to peanut riots, for better wages in the countries that grow them!

 we continued our walk,

 and saw this little chap on a park bench,

 so out with the nuts, 

 he refused it come out from under the bench, 

 I have to say there was a marked lack of squirrels today, normally they are everywhere, but not today,

 we continued,

 past the flower beds,

 to the lake,

 and then into another section we had not been in before,

 to sit underneath this tree,

 with nice views,

 in both directions, 

so out with the sandwiches,

and coffee,  

 we also brought some oranges and nectarines,

 it was starting to cloud over, but still plenty of sun,

  lunch over, down to the lake,

 a pose by one of the geese,

and one or two,

 from Diana,

 on the island although difficult to see,

 there were a number of herons, 

 and I forgot,

it was my turn to pose too,

 we were being stalked, 

 by this Egyptian goose, (Alopochen aegyptiacus), 

 which was happy to come quite close to Diana for food,

 we turn left by the weeping willow, 

 towards the no dog gate,

 but just before leaving the area we saw this strange looking duck, 

 which semed half way through a moult, the rear half looking a bit ragged,

 the front looking like it was completed, I am guessing a young Mandarin, but I do not have a real idea of what it is, 

 blackberries, 

 just one or two ripe ones, but as Diana found out, distinctly sour!

 looking towards the park entrance where we came in,

 Diana feedsome of the ducks below,

 a couple of geese getting in on the act too,

 one last handful,

 and we were off out of the no dogs area,

 and past the children's playground, you should have heard the noise! they were all having a great time,

 a couple of fungi at the base of one of the trees, 

 the recent high winds had brought a bower down in the road outside our home,

 and here another huge limb,

 had broken off, 

 hopefully no one was underneath sheltering from the rain when it broke,

 I am not sure what this tree is, 

 but it certainly has a distinctive trunk,

 feeding time for the birds,

 and there were lots of them,

 these had really grown since our last visit, 

 giant rhubarb, (Gunnera manicata),

 here is a flower spike,normally they are erect, but this one is laying along the ground, and here is a thing, the catkin-like panicles usually contain a mixture of male, female and bisexual flowers, not many people know that,

 so a quick pose,

 as it happens the plant normally grows a lot larger that the ones here,

 over the small bridge,

 to the exit,

 the marigolds looking so nice in the sun, 

 we started our walk up the High Street, the hanging baskets on the street lights looking nice now,

 we crossed the road where the High Street turns left towards Boots the chemist,

 up the stairs past what was once the police station, now a restaurant,

 over the road by the church,

 and there it was,

 with its nice hanging baskets,

 and flower bed at the front,

 we just had to stop,

 at O'Neil's the sign says it all,

 well all of that walking gave us both a thirst,

 into the park,

and a pose by Diana's favorite house, 

 in the evening Diana was off to work, I had arranged to meet up with Steve for a drink or three, and for a change of venue, 

 we chose the Moon and Stars in Penge, we chatted the night away,

 then a bus to Beckenham, we said cheerio, and I walked home and waited for Diana to call when she was nearly at Beckenham on the bus,

a quick walk to the bus stop and we were on our way home, past Diana's favorite house with its lights now on, then feet up, a coffee for Diana, a nightcap for myself and we were off to bed.