Wednesday Walk

This photo is being entered in Cee’s Photo Challenge: Diagonal Lines

I took it on a walk this afternoon. I went for a walk ‘with’ Cathy.

We walk together even though we are miles apart.

Past the field to the woods

where the blubells are just coming into flower

Cathy and I enjoy nudging each other to get out there, enjoying this beautiful Spring.

Spring?

On Thursday, a brief break in the relentless rain saw me donning my wellies and making a dash for it – catching a walk in the sunshine before it disappeared again.

Gorse in the hedgerows is always a cheery sight.

I walked straight out across the fields and looked back towards my house across the very soggy land

But I am so lucky compared with the thousands of people who have had their lives disrupted by the floods.

Then, into the woods

I can’t quite explain the sheer joy of seeing sunshine slanting through the clumps of hazel, it made me feel like a woodland sprite skipping over sunbeams.

Look!

Bluebell shoots!

And the sky went all bluebell too

with catkins!

My whole being was soaking up all this light and joy, making up for months of grey, wind and wet.

Peeping through the trees at the fields looking so green in the sunshine

and of course the obligatory photos of lichen – I am so fascinated by this stuff – I am convinced it holds secrets and answers and healing properties as yet untapped

Moss is nearly as fascinating

but doesn’t hold the magic of lichen.

I do hope you have been able to catch some sunbeams in your neck of the woods.

North Dorset

On Wednesdays, after school,  I take my granddaughter Miss E to her Gym Class. In the winter I am happy to sit for the two hours with crochet and a flask of tea, listening to podcasts on my iPad, but yesterday was such a lovely evening, I dropped her off and drove on for about 10 minutes and went for a walk.

 

Is this a Six Spot Burnet moth?

Joining Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Silent Sunday

Swan Sunday

We had a magical family day out yesterday at Abbotsbury Swannery.

Feeding time for swans is at 12 noon and 4pm

Children are able to go and feed them too.

There were masses of breeding pairs to see

and cygnets – awwww!

There are Go Karts, a Maze, a Quiz, a Playground and a very good restaurant, which all makes for a very good day out.

And – Little Miss M and I added 3.2 miles to our total – 75.2miles completed – target 500 miles

The Tor

‘We will walk 500 miles’

Today Little Miss M and I reached 60.8 miles of our 500 mile goal.

We walked up Glastonbury Tor – can you see that pink speck nearly at the top? That is Little Miss M (6) racing ahead to get there first.

What a glorious day it was with magnificent views

stretching far and wide……

looking back at the town of Glastonbury

and from the top

so good to stand together when I finally got there!

looking back at how far we had come

We were with my daughter, Miss E and Master R. The children were touchingly concerned about the modern carvings, but enjoyed the “love heart” as it had not damaged the stone

Having enjoyed the Spring sunshine, the breeze and the views it was time to go back down

with many others enjoying the climb

some leaving tributes or prayers in the trees

On the 85 minute journey home, Miss E (11) was a bit bored and invented Car Yoga to keep herself and the rest of us amused – with demonstrations of the Eyebrow Pose, the Upward Dog and the Squash-the-Person-Next-To-You Pose – Happy Days!

Click on any picture to see it full screen.

Joining Son of a Beach’s Which Way Challenge

 

Dalby Forest: 1

One of the best days in Yorkshire was when Cathy took me on a favourite walk of hers in Dalby Forest, to the Bridestones, you can see a map and description here.

We climbed up through the woods

and were both in awe of the colours, especially the larches

Which are particularly gorgeous this year

I can just imagine one of Kate Davies’ designs knitted in the colours above

My hair used to be the colour of that bracken! Seems like another life entirely.

We arrived at the top where the Bridestones are.

Now this stone is referred to as the Pepperpot, but to me she was an old lady, maybe the wise old matchmaker calling Coooo-eeeeeeeee, down the valley

this is her view

A little further along there is an Elf’s tunnel, I had to squat right down low to get this picture, a 3 year old could just about walk through it, and elves of course.

now down into the valley

where we could hear a squawking bird

With a wonderful free App on my phone ‘Chirp’ I could identify it as a Jay, then we saw the Jay flitting through the trees, sounding very perturbed about something – like this

looking back

and nearly back to the car now

Oh what a fabulous walk.

Click on any photo to see it full screen.

The day was not over    ………

off we went to see Rachel Whiteread’s Nissen Hut …………