Yesterday’s Wednesday Walk was one of those unplanned little adventures that remind me how lucky we are to live where we do. The sun was blazing down, with the temperature hovering in the high 20s, maybe even tipping into the low 30s. It felt like one of those rare Welsh summer days when it’s too nice to stay indoors, so, after school, I rounded up the kids for a wander around our local patch.
My daughter was determined to make the most of the weather, so she zoomed ahead on her bike, leaving me and her brother trailing behind (or so she thought — we had our own mission!). It wasn’t long before we stumbled upon our first bit of excitement: a swarm of bees had taken up residence right in the roof of our community centre! The kids were fascinated, a living demonstration of nature at work. We stood watching for ages as the bees busied themselves, making their new home. It was hard not to admire their industry, even in the heat.
We moved on, weaving through familiar paths, when my son’s sharp eyes spotted something that made his day — a pool filled with common smooth newts. He’s always had a knack for spotting wildlife I would’ve walked straight past. We crouched by the water’s edge, watching these little aquatic beasts glide between the weeds. There’s something magical about finding creatures like that, just quietly going about their lives, hidden in plain sight.
The walk back was slow and sticky in the heat, but the kids were full of chatter about bees, bikes, and newts. It was one of those simple afternoons that ends up feeling pretty special — proof that you don’t need to go far or plan much to have a mini-adventure.