Awaking from my winter hibernation I ventured out to find that spring was happening already. As I had not walked for a while I decided to keep to a local River Mersey – Sale Water Park loop; if it proved to be too much I could hop on a tram half way round and return home.

It was not too arduous, being mostly level, and I managed the full nine and a bit miles.

Good to see the graffiti along the Floop is being kept up to date:

A lady interrupted my stride enquiring about a bird perched on the goal post.

“Shag?” I retorted. Which seemed to alarm her for some reason. We decided it was something akin to a cormorant – which it almost certainly was.

The heron, which is usually around the water park, was exploring the other side of the river.

The river banks are littered with the debris from the recent storms and flooding.

With a week of warm and sunny weather forecast. and the aged legs still functioning, I may venture further afield at some point.