Watch the world go by

Robin Scott finds time to reflect by his pond. Or should that be lake?

- Robin Scott

Yes, they keep stock in and out of fields but five-bar gates serve another purpose — they are wonderfully meditative things to lean against when out for a walk or mooching with a gun.

My favourite is down by the pond. I say pond, but locals reckon that because it’s about an acre or so in size it’s big enough to be called a lake. Perhaps I should run an internet search to find out when a pond actually becomes something else. Or do Sporting Gun readers already know the answer? If so, please tell me. Until then I’ve a mind to take the words pond and lake, split ’em, rejoin the letters and call the place a ‘poke’. It’s a neat little solution and I like the ring to it. But what of the gate?

Rarely a day passes when I don’t rest my elbows and chin on the top rail to take in the poke and the wild flower meadow around it. Both were created by big sister about 10 years ago, since when they’ve matured and become home to an abundance of flora and fauna that hadn’t existed before. The transformation has been remarkable.

Regardless of season there’s always something of interest to see and hear about the place. A recent morning was no exception. At first I thought the commotion in the middle of the poke was one of the otters struggling with a bigger carp than he’d bargained for. But no — it was a hare, of all things.