Friday night into Saturday morning saw a massive thunderstorm over the yurt camp.  Both yurts were occupied, the Dart with a couple and the Hems with a family with 4 young children.  The electrical storm was spectacular and rather unexpected, and the heavens opened and torrential rain accompanied the display of flashes and bangs which lasted for a couple of hours.  The children in the Hems yurt were very brave and were not in the least frightened and were full of tales of the storm when I met them today.  A yurt is a cosy structure even during a storm!!!

Every year a group of very intrepid swimmers take to the River Dart and enter into a race for 10k starting at the Steamer Quay in Totnes and going down the river to Dittisham.  The training involved is immense and river swimming is something completely different to swimming in a pool.  This weekend was the date for this annual event and for the second year running some of the brave competitors stayed here at the yurt camp.  The torrential rain and wind on Friday meant that the river was full of debris and the swimmers who stayed here were really delighted to have completed the course succesfully. When they arrived back at the yurt camp they were greeted with a warm and cosy yurt as I had already lit the wood burning stove lit in anticipation of their almost hyperthermic condition!!!!  I have to admire their spirit to take part in such a difficult race, and they really loved the peace and quiet of the yurt camp after their swim.