DRAWN A DUCK TODAY

DUCKS Raining first thing so no dawn expedition, brightened up later so took myself and Molly down to Water-Cum-Jolly. Nothing much going on down there either. Drew a duck with the photographs as well. There are a couple of the old mill sluice gears, on looking at them, just the one.

SLUICE GEARS More rusty iron, more webs, more pictures of Water-cum-Jolly are HERE.

It was definitely one of those days, papers were late, left the camera on Bracket and single shot. Eventually got the paper but couldn't finish the crossword. Had to stop in as the Gas Man was coming to service the boiler. Three hours past the appointed time, a phone call. 'Sorry I'm running a little late.' A bit late! Almost half a shift late! Poor dear had got himself embroiled with a tempest, trapped in drifting snow, caught in a plague of frogs. You name it, and I thought I was having a bad day. After tea time I decided to pull myself together, collected pieces from all over, drove over to Magpie Mine. Awful, harsh light, and a bank of cloud out to the west which promised not only to obliterate any sunset but to give me a thorough soaking. Thinking of taking shower gel and a towel with me on my forays, save paying the exorbitant charges Severn Trent levy for a gill of the stuff. Wouldn't be so upset but they also charge for my giving it them back.

TADDINGTON MOOR HIGH MERE This is new, a conservation project recreating a mere that has been here since the Magna Carta. This, is at an altitude of 1200 feet and water was very scarce on the limestone plateau. In the 1600 and 1700 hundreds it would have been like a motorway junction, the hub of two or three drovers trails and the subject of bitter dispute between Flagg and Taddington. It's neighbouring hamlets.

BULL RUSHES A panacea to a conservationist, a weed to me, they give the impression of an established wetland without taxing the designers too much. They are also, all but free from the water authorities. Or I would like to hope so as their water treatment plants are awash with the things.

EVENING SHADOWS OVER TADDINGTON Quite like this, light still harsh, I live in the trees under the horizon to the left, The far horizon is Kinder Scout and Camp Hill to the right. To be totally PC it should revert to it's old name of Abney Moor. What's good enough for the Ordnance Survey is OK by me.

Sorry this is running late, but I'm trying to post yesterdays pictures without dragging past stuff into the blog. Hard work but probably easier than trying to find images past on my chaotic hard drive. See what today brings, all the best.