The Ferry Bridge Walk: aliens in the wood

Pictures by Muddy Boots, commentary by Not Very Clean Trainers

Sometimes upon a walk there is a need to look ahead, and when one does look ahead there can be a certain amount of looking ahead in wonderment.  And hereupon there is just such an example.

For what is this coming along the road toward our merry band of Ramblers?

A steam engine?  A tractor?  Or something far more bizarre and dangerous?   For could this be an alien device recently landed in the countryside which we had previously considered to be safe from such devices?  Thus here you can see the troops looking on with a certain (and justified) level of concern.

And well may there have been concern for it was quickly realised that this walk had taken us into alien territory, whereupon each walker found she or he had as a companion an extended dark being which stretched sideways across the road.

Of course, some of us had argued that this was not a walk to be taken lightly, or indeed darkly, but no, the Ramblers of Peterborough are not to be offput, nor even put off, and on we went, accompanied by the sideways dark beings of the road.

But that was not all for on this walk there were also signs of the past encampments of the strange shadow beings, places whereupon they had done their deeds and indeed done them as mysteriously as they can.  For they had arrived they had departed.  Naturally we called the Cambridge Alien Protection and Elimination Resources (Caper) to come and have a look and keep us safe, but they were on their tea-break and so couldn’t help.

One wonders, where are the experts whereupon they are needed by decent taxpayers, not to mention the rest of us?

Thus it was that the party moved forth with a certain level of uncertainty for this was most certainly a world of strangeness whereupon even the leaves arrange themselves in threatening patterns.   For here forthwith we found something truly remarkable.

For surely this can only be the site after the aliens have done their deeds and done them as mysteriously as they are arrived before they had departed.  Naturally we called the Cambridge Alien Protection and Elimination Resources (CAPER) to come and have a look and keep us safe, but they were on their tea-break and so couldn’t help.

One wonders, where are the experts whereupon they are needed by decent taxpayers, not to mention the rest of us?

Thus it was that the party moved forth with a certain level of uncertainty for this was most certainly a world of strangeness whereupon even the leaves arrange themselves in threatening patterns.   For here forthwith we found something truly remarkable.  I must let you look…

For yes indeed we had found the birthplace of the most wonderous creatures of all, the lesser golfcart.   And in fact not just one but no less than four of the strange creatures, all sitting there, beyond doubt awaiting the return of the mother cart who is clearly on a hunting expedition.  Notice how the front of the carts press forward eagerly anticipating lunch.  They sit neatly in line, each knowing its turn, each knowing it will get its fair share, each bowed forward in recognition of the power and purpose of the food hunter of the tribe who will most certainly return within moments with tasty arms and legs.   Our party moved on with care and in deeper silence than normally  accustomed to.        For here let there be no mistake indeed because this is a strange unworldly world (and no mistake).  Does herein the word “gnarled” perhaps come to mind?  I indeed think so, although could this not also be a viewing post of the alien invaders of whom I have seen so many on the walks?

One cannot but imagine the sadness experienced by other Rambling communities who do not have the privilege and pleasure of discovering such a wild and diverse alien treescape as we have upon our doorsteps.

For this surely is the original world from which our ancestors departed many billions of years ago, only to return on Friday, leaving their decorous space vehicles among the grassy walkways ready for us to discover them.  Thus we have another world and we are I am sure all the better for that.

One picture appeared twice in this report.  Did you notice or were you so engrossed by the tale that you missed it?