All the signs are that summer is almost over.  For the past few mornings the local swallows have been arranged on the power and phone lines near the house like notes on a music stave.  It won't be long now before a morning dawns and they are missing, set off on their long journey to Africa and the skies fall silent from the squeaks and chitters that have provided a sound track to the summer months around the house.

The dry weather of the past few days has prompted much late season grass cutting as farmers along the valley try to get a second cut from meadows that lay parched in spring and boggy for much of July and August.  The river is lower now and whilst still fishable for trout salmon will have to wait for the next flush of water.  Only four weeks of the trout season left now, but we shall keep the Tarn open until the end of October so that days when the salmon are uncooperative can still offer a rainbow or two.

It looks as though all the scaffolding for the bridleway bridge is now in place so the main structure should go up over the next few days.  They will have to hurry as the arrangement is that all work should be finished by the end of September so that salmon and trout making for spawning gravels at the head of the river are not impeded.

Ian