A visitor was telling us how creative happiness works for him.
It's looking for the bright side of everything around us. He sees it whenever he comes to Middleton Lakes.
There's the picnic area near the car park. There's the mud – it means he can wear his wellies which keep his ankles warm, he says. And there's the puddles in which he can splosh about to wash his boots. It reminds him of his childhood - walking, getting wet and muddy but ending up with clean boots. It was (and still is) great fun.
It's the finding of a small patch of blue in the sky carpet of cloud.
There's the heronry activity in the spring. The busy bird feeders and the waiting bird queue, ready for a spare feeder slot.
It's the quietness along the bridleway, with the occasional burst of wren or robin song in the autumn.
The chatter of rooks in the spring and autumn, with the occasional jackdaw call.
The joy of finding a free bench at the silt pool in time for a sandwich and a hot drink, which has been brought along.
Once at the wetland viewpoint, by the canal, he sees the waterbirds, mooching about – the coots, gadwall, mallards, tufted ducks. All doing their own thing – some in groups and others alone.
A few ducks, gulls, little egrets, cormorants will be flying about. Such peacefulness and such joy.
Nature helps to create such happiness and contentedness around the reserve.
It is such fun, our visitor says.
And then there's the return journey to the car park and a visit to the courtyard cafe for a mug of coffee and a piece of homemade cake.
There's a chance to give a thank you donation at the donation postbox, in the car park, for a great day out.
Thanks to all the staff and volunteers at the reserve for all you have done and will do in the future, our visitor says.