Who closed the river?

Today's plan was a morale boosting and calorie chomping run to Barnby in the Willows, before following the River Witham across to Claypole village before coming back home.

However, after getting to Barnby after a run baulked by the passage of the three longest and slowest trains in history at the level crossing but brightened by flocks of swallows going about their twittering business, I found that unlike the left hand route along the river towards Beckingham, the right path to Claypole runs out after a couple of hundred yards.But the river was clear, and full of fish which no doubt would attract the large pike found here. None today though alas, pity, as I like to see these eagles of the water serenely motionless in the clear water waiting for some sort of idiot cyprinoid to find its way into its cavernous toothy gob.

Saw a large rather brown dragonfly with a droopy looking tail. Investigations (wiki again, its safe enough for dragonfly id!) probably reveal it to be a four spotted chaser. But it flew on unobstructed, and I came across a nasty wooden fence. I'm sure once upon a time you could get right across to Claypole along here.

So, change of plan. Given I hate retracing my steps, I ended up going across to the A17 (not sensible) before running awkwardly on the verge as the perma-crashing traffic screeched by. After Coddington was really starting to suffer with my right knee getting  bit sore and eventually in town I was a bit stop start. But I won't tell the girls that, I'll tell them I ran 12 miles.

And saw a lovely big dragonfly.