Deer and Cranes

It's been a long time since we trekked diagonally across London to Richmond Park, and since the Overground line from near our house to Richmond Station was actually running today (some stretches of the line are often closed at weekends) and the weather forecast wasn't calling for a repeat of yesterday's wind and rain, we decided to go in search of deer and that otherworldly feeling we always have after walking across the park's great expanse. On our way from the station to the park, we were treated to a pretty view of the winding Thames:While most of the park is rather wild and scrubby, some pockets are more cultivated.

We stopped at Pembroke Lodge for a coffee break on its sunny patio, although this non-paying customer looked like he was having an even better cake break!

I love the trees in Richmond Park.

We started walking toward the centre of the park, near where we've seen deer in the past.

Along the way, we came across dogs,

horses,

more of those great trees,

and an assortment of birds.

Bob usually spots the deer before I do, but today I was the first to point out some spots in the distance that became deer as we got closer.

Don't worry--there's no corresponding headline of "Stag Eats Child" to go along with this next photo.

After we left the deer, we hadn't walked far before we came across another group:

As we exited the park, we passed the riding stables:

We made our way home a roundabout way, and while we waited at Angel station for our bus home, I noticed a trio of new cranes above the construction site just past the station. Although cranes are certainly nothing unusual, we're so used to this view without the cranes that the sudden appearance of three such monsters looks very strange to us indeed.