Thursday photo #332

Hasn’t it been a treat to see the sunshine again this week? Just when we thought autumn had arrived, the summer reappears for a few days. I’m pleased to say that we absolutely made the most of it with river swimming, paddle boarding and even a night away in the camper van.

A bonus night away

Isn’t it funny how just one night away stretches the weekend out to seem like a holiday? On Saturday once I’d fitted in a run and a bit of work, we packed up the van and drove to a campsite just 45 minutes away. By lunchtime, we were sitting outside the van next to the river. After lunch we pumped up the SUP and headed to the water.

The current in that part of the river Wye was quite strong and it was very shallow. Nevertheless, we managed some swimming and paddle boarding. I hadn’t been sure whether the girls would cope with the temperature. The rivers are a lot colder now than they were a month ago. Nonetheless, they put their wetsuits on and in they went. Surprisingly, the temperature wasn’t mentioned at all and they were in and out for the best part of an hour and a half.

We followed our dip with a walk and a pub dinner. By the time we all woke up the next morning and headed home for Lia’s swimming lesson, it felt like we’d been on holiday. It’s a satisfying feeling to know that we made the most of summer’s last hurrah.

Finding her feet

Things seem have fallen into place for Libby this term. It seems odd after such a long break but perhaps being unable to do things gave her a greater sense of gratitude. She has had a couple of really good friends at school since she started. They kept in touch during lockdown and met up as soon as they could. One of them even turned up on her birthday to surprise her. Since going back, the three of them seem to have really cemented their friendship. As a result, school has got a bit easier.

I no longer hear about friendship issues between the girls in the class. It’s passing Libby by because her little trio all get along so well. Each year, the class choose a boy and a girl to represent the class on the school council. Libby has put herself forward every year since she was in reception and never been voted in. This year, she went out of her way to prepare a little speech. She found out what people in the class wanted the school council representative to do and she was realistic about what she could help with. And finally, it was her year. She couldn’t be happier.

Thursday photo #332

Probably the last river swim for a while for these two. I’ll be packing away their wetsuits and bracing myself for some chillier temperatures as winter swimming creeps up on us.