Stepping Stones . . . but only for good swimmers or those wearing waders.

Sundays at the moment are lovely (not that they aren't always the best day of the week anyway) as we have Rosary and Benediction at 4pm but it does mean that time for rambling is rather restricted.  We usually don't get back from the morning Mass until about midday by the time we've had a chat over coffee after Mass.

We've got into a routine, weather permitting, of trying to get out for a brief walk and back again by about 3pm so you can see we don't attempt anything remotely considered a 'proper' walk.

Today we re-visited another local favourite, Box Hill.  One of the fun walks (at least it's fun on the way down but not quite so much fun on the rather steep climb back) is called the Stepping Stones Walk.  This involves climbing down A LOT  of steps which was quite treacherous today as there was slippery mud everywhere following heavy rain overnight.  I see from the website that there are 275 steps.  I tell you it feels like it on the way back!

It was quite overcast today and trying to rain so  not brilliant for photos but as we've done this walk before I have some photos from earlier walks.  Here's a shot of a few of the steps, taken on a much drier day . . .

When you get the bottom of the steps, after following the path for a little way you reach the Stepping Stones over the River Mole.

Because of all the rain we have had recently, the stones were totally submerged today and you couldn't even make out their outline under the water.  In fact the place where we usually stand to take photos on the bank was also submerged.

Here's a photo taken on the same day as the one above when water levels were more normal.

And this is what it looked like today, taken from a little bit further back as all of the area you see in the photo above was under water.

The route back takes you over a bridge (well above water level) and eventually to climb back up Box Hill via a different route - very steep but minus the steps.

It's a wonder I didn't doze off during Benediction really . . .

I just couldn't resist it . . .

Yes, I know, I know, but I just couldn't keep away!

It was such a beautiful day today and unusually, I actually had time to enjoy the wonderful weather for a change.

We had a couple of hours free after Mass and a bite to eat before we needed to think about getting ready for Rosary and Benediction so our older son and I decided to go for a short walk locally.

One of our regular short walks takes a path through the heath, past a smallish pond and round in a loop passing a local parish church in the neighbouring village.

Here's the pond . . . 

And here are a few of St Peter's (Anglican) Church . . .

A really beautiful small church. Lovely to see the rood screen and the altar rails still intact *sigh*.

The piscina and sedilla (hope I spelled that correctly!)

The Lady Chapel.

And of course, oodles of beautiful stained glass . . . 

And to finish, just one more of the ducks . . .

Childhood memories . . .

I have been catching up with our parish Facebook page and I see that our PP has been reminiscing about attending Benediction as a child and in particular about a familiar hymn which inevitably brings back memories.

This caused me to think about music that evokes memories of my childhood.  I suppose the parallel in my childhood would be this:

Or, perhaps this:

I remember feeling very grown-up accompanying my mother to Evensong on dark Autumnal Sunday evenings.  Isn't it funny how things you learned as a child, stay with you for ever  . . . ?

I have been a Catholic now for about 25 years but it's taken me ages to get used to the translation of the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis I find in my breviary. Yet, the translation that I sang as child trips off my tongue without a second's thought.