Tag Archives: Muswell Hill

This is where I walk my dog most days.  It’s a sweet little park that most people don’t know about because it’s tucked out of the way.

It’s sort of wild and windswept and high up and I love it. It’s a quiet little oasis just 2 minutes drive away with easy parking which in London is very precious.

Every Spring a new pair of geese raise a family on the little pond. There were eight goslings this year and they all survived. It was a few short weeks before the eight tiny balls of downy fluff became strong and independent and it was a joy to watch their progress every day for a few minutes. Sometimes they were all closely tucked up tightly down the side of the bank  protected from the wind with the parents keeping a beady eye out for danger and if felt threatened they quickly all jumped in the water.

Those geese are the most amazing parents. Fiercely protective and guarding their beloved offspring every waking minute.  Eventually the babies were independent enough to fly away one by one every couple of days and I wondered if the parents were sad…..I was.

The poor old ducks by contrast all seemed to be one parent families and it looked much harder lonelier work. There’s also a lone turtle who live in the pond. You see it sunning itself on hot summer days and it’s lived there for years. I didn’t see it this year though. I don’t go when the sun is high as it’s too hot for the dog to run.

This blackberry was eaten after having it’s pic taken. I love blackberries and the feeling of pure vitamin c being absorbed to ward off colds.

There is also a stork who lives by the pond and is often there standing alone. It’s very jumpy and flies to the other end of the pond at the sight of a dog careering down the hill.
There is also the odd rat which I don’t mind at all as they are at home where they belong. The sight of a couple of them jumping into the pond sent shivers the other day though as there is something very unappealing about a rat swimming somehow.
Well that’s my handy little haven and the best part is…………….

that there’s a busy 2/3 lane road close by on one side and a drive thru MacDonald s even closer on the other side. Not that I’m particularly partial to fast food extractor fans ( though I do find them strangely alluring & comforting) but I’m a city girl and if I don’t see a shop or a car for more than 10 mins I start to panic.