We also lived close to a canal, - deep in some places, shallow in others. Birds in reeds, frogs and spawn on rocks and in the water. Tadpoles were ever present.
Mam usually wore an apron with a large pocket. So many treasures, picked up as we walked were stashed in her apron.
She passed the love of nature, walks and picnics on to us.
The legacy continues - albeit in a foreign land with different flora and fauna:
The Host to our local treasures: The Village streets and the paddocks beyond....