Things I've Learnt Living On A Nature Reserve

 

We've been in the beautiful Cotswolds Water Park now for a month and after living by the sea all my life it's been a nice change of scenery and I've discovered a few things along the way from our stay here so far. It definitely helps being in a place for longer than a usual holiday stint to get you to see the space from a different perspective. It's nothing mind blowing but more my little observations.

My 'Bees and Flowers' in watercolour

1. As you're by a lake (or a few here) there are plenty of midges, and by plenty I means swarms of the beasts!
   
   
2. Not all midges bite (luckily) so you can wander through those swarms without being eaten alive!
   
   
3. Nights are silent and if you have any form of tinnitus or can hear the low level hums of things then you're in for a pleasant surprise...
   
   
4. You can hear wonderful nature sounds at night that aren't drowned out by cars, I was awoken at some undiscernible time (it was definitely early hours) to a duck going mad honking followed by a lot of splashing then ominous silence.... who knows what went on there it was pitch black (yes I stupidly looked out the window whoops).
   
   
5. It's pitch black, so it means you can see all the stars - gorgeous.
   
   
6. Just because people have a large income doesn't mean they're really nice or will pick up their dog's poo :(  **(A plea to all dog owners PLEASE pick up your dog's poo it's really obnoxious and not doing so makes you a bad person and you should feel guilty!!!!!)**
   
   
7.  Rustic feeling furniture is nice to a point, when it becomes form over function however it's just annoying. Think a kitchen floor with large gaps between the boards - an unfortunate spilling of an entire carton of cream was suddenly much harder to clear up; and a dining table that has lots of whimsical holes, crevices and uneven surfaces - pretty? Maybe but not so much when you're trying to brush up crumbs from your lunch or write something legible.
   
   
8. It's really calming just sitting watching robins and blue tits flitter about collecting materials for their nests. I'm not usually a bird watching kind of lady but I do appreciate an unusual bird sighting, it's been lovely just sat with a hot chocolate observing their cute little movements and being able to appreciate their world.
   
   
9. Having had lockdown, the site had been really quiet but it's began to awaken as the owners returned to prep the houses for their holidays or for renting out, then Easter hit and the lockdown lifted slightly and there was a bit of an influx. It makes you realise how lovely it is to not have lots of people around you, I've enjoyed the peace and quiet, the solitary walks and not having to make constant chit chat. 
   
   
10. I've also enjoyed walking the dogs in peace without worrying about other people letting their dogs invade my dog's space (they're tiny and get easily stressed, especially if they're on their leads and others aren't, it's like us being tied up and getting approached by a boisterous giant!!!) and don't even get me started on retractable leads, I hate them and the way people use them with a passion, like please, if you want to own one fine, but if you approach other people and/or dogs then get your dog under full control not weaving all over the place on the longest line possible, it's not cute and it's dangerous. In fact the busier it gets with other dog owners the more I'm resenting their presence; as I walk innocuously by they get in my dogs (and my space) and inconvenience me for no reason other than the owners seemingly don't feel a need to be able to control their dog. (Rant over!).