We’ve had a very eventful day, even if we’d probably wish we could turn back the clock and stop some of those events from happening.

The best bit of the day was welcoming my little sis and her brood to our home for the afternoon. After we’d fed them, we booted up and took them up to the quarry so her little boys could see Archie swimming. They have a strange relationship with the dogs – they really want to like them and play with them but they’re both a bit timid because their exposure to animals when they’re not in Cornwall is negligible. Here they see R&A as well as the cute Maddie at Alan and Dee’s place.

So, we set off in glorious sunshine up the hill to the quarry pool and all our cares of this morning were swept away by the breathtaking view. It was a really timely reminder of why we’re here despite the state of the rat’s nest. Why we’ve been through so much pain for this – when you walk onto the moor on a day like today, there is no other place like it. The distant hills of Dartmoor glimmering and shimmering in the blue of an ultra-violet haze, the hills in relief as far as the eye can see and the quietness that we love so much.

DM caught up with me and whispered in my ear ‘this is it, this is what we’re here for’. I agree with all of my heart. We are here. Us, all of us, two humans who love each other, two dogs who love both of us and the rest of our furry, feathery clan.

The boys chunnered and chattered all the way to the quarry – ‘is this the place where Archie swims, Auntie Linda?’ every few minutes and every time we saw some water…..no, we’re not there yet…..

Eventually, you round the corner into the sheltered rocky hole where the quarry pool stretches out in front of you and they see it. Archie jumps in and we spend some time chucking in stones to make the water go ‘plop’ so Arch swims out looking for the source of the ‘plop’. He loves it and so do the boys.

Then a shout goes up behind us – it’s DM and my little sis, who have discovered treasure. A gazillion eggs in a shallower, more sheltered pool. So much frog and toad spawn it looks like quatermass and more too – some white ‘tapioca’. On closer inspection, the tapioca is identified as newt spawn, complete with newts in amongst it. How utterly brilliant is that?

The frog spawn is mixed in age – some of it is quite well-developed, unlike this which looks newly laid to me.

The boys are fascinated and appalled at the same time. The cry was ‘ew no, that’s gross’ but when DM said he wouldn’t touch it he was decried a ‘wimp’ so to maintain his ‘hero status’ in the eyes of two little boys who think anyone with an electric guitar and a motorbike has to be pretty cool, he had to have a prod of it too.

Soon this will become tadpoles, then froglets then some will go on to be frogs. Hurrah for spring spawning new life and new hope.

Last year's posting heralded the start of one of my most successful 'mini-series' since I started this diary.