Effete townees wanting to get away from it all with gentle country walks in the bracing rural air and stunning sunsets all around (well in the West, usually) might find the Merse a bit of a challenge in early December. These images, enhanced by the boffins in the Hutton Think Tank were taken at 3.20 pm and are a considerable improvement on the dreich dark of real life. But there is much to admire-the gentle view of the Whiteadder valley, the quality of local mud and the challenge of puddled paths, the perserverance of rooks holding out wire bound until bed time and the genial glow of our beech tree-8 years old this month planted to mark our arrival at the Old Manse 8 years ago. You can of course be confronted by mud in urban areas but not up to the quality we enjoy here-and anyhow self imposed glutinous brown stuff on your wellies is much more welcome than the thin wet muck sprayed upon you by passing cats in Hackney or wherever.
Click on Image for best effect.  ¶ 4:10 PM