...the Ribble lifts the heart whatever the weather, her shining ever-changing waters and lush banksides...
...offering endless places to roam, whatever your size!
The House Martin chicks have now flown the nest but are still based in their Ribble-mud homes beneath our eaves, from whence they fly out and skim across the Ribble's waters for flies as skilfully as their parents...
...and low tides always offers food for thought...
...as does the endlessly biodiverse range of plant species which line the banks of the Ribble and the many different habitats of the Ribbleside green spaces...
Cinnabar Moth caterpillars enjoying the Ragwort...
...and Bees busy in the Tufted Vetch in the meadows...
The Ribbleside wildflowers are numerous and plentiful, whether on wet marsh, meadows, or woodlands, or along the Ribble's banks...
...including Birds Foot Trefoil...
...Rosebay Willowherb...
...Tufted Vetch...
...Yarrow...
...and my personal favourite, Meadow Cranesbill...
...there are a wealth of flower species all through the summer months until well into Autumn...
...offering a wealth of beauty and diversity.
The Penwortham Green Belt includes diverse habitats...
...including Floodplain Grazing Marsh, an increasingly rare habitat which is one of the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan Habitats.
Aswell as various meadows, some grazed, some not, there are many woodland walks...
...and sunlit glades...
...and now in late August, some trees are already showing the first tints of Autumn...
...and there are already ripe blackberries...
...aswell as Rowan berries, Elder Berries, and other fruiting trees all across the area - even a couple of apple trees!
Another clear sign that Autumn is approaching is that the football games have moved on from the summer "friendlies" and are now taking place in earnest...
Other "fruits" on offer are the views, which are always fantastic, and even include spectacular glimpses of the Lancashire Fells...
...seen through the trees next to the Ribble in Penwortham.
The top of Pendle Hill...
- I know you can't see the top of Pendle Hill quite THAT WELL from the Ribble in Penwortham! - But you CAN see the River Ribble at Preston and Penwortham AND the Ribble Estuary from the top of Pendle Hill...
...and you can ALSO see where the Ribble begins from the same spot, just by turning your head about 120 degrees towards Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent...
And YOU can enjoy a fine time messing about by the River Ribble with your friendly neighbourhood Ribble Cycle Diarist as I begin walking the Ribble Way from the source of the Ribble high in the Yorkshire Dales through to the Estuary and the Irish Sea, beginning with a quest for the Ribble's source waters next week...
In the meantime, you can see more pictures of the Ribble here
Contact me at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk
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