We have a few nice National Trust properties within a short drive from home. Anglesey Abbey is on the Eastern edge of Cambridge, Wimpole Hall is down towards Royston and Houghton Mill sits between Huntingdon and St Ives on the River Ouse. I visited each over the past three days, enjoying the warm sunny weather foregoing the interior of the properties to enjoy the grounds. The shortage of butterflies earlier in the summer seems to have passed with plenty of gatekeepers and various whites flitting around. It has been a while since I walked up to the folly at Wimpole. In fact the last time I gave up on the way as the area down to the lake was a quagmire, not on Sunday though. Crossing at the lake narrows gave a great view of an emperor dragonfly. There was also plenty of aerial activities with a Dragon Rapide, the USAF spitfire along with a Harvard and a lovely silver Tiger Moth circling over the estate. It was interesting that I was about the only person looking up at the sound of vintage aero engines. At Houghton Mill there were plenty of folks enjoying the sunshine and the river below the mill. I was a little surprised that the camp site was pretty empty and most of the boats for rent were in dock as it is the first day of the school holidays.. The lock was in use by a cruiser and a canal boat. A highlight was a decent view of one of my favourite insects, a banded demoiselle, with both a male and a female posing for me