Woke this morning, freezing cold and decided to get a picture or two for the New Year. Got a picture and a not very edifying one at that.
The following images are included because they reflect some of our best days. Some are new all have been reworked from the RAW files.
Have a very, very happy year, my best wishes to you all.
Christmas day dawned bright and clear it couldn't and didn't last.
Today being Boxing day is the biggest day in the year for our hunting compatriots.
I hope you all had a good day yesterday. Best Wishes.
A wet cold morning with ferocious heavy showers. Molly and I went for a quick constitutional collecting the newspaper on the way back. Quick is relative, can't the daft dog tell it's heaving it down and not the time to be investigating every leaf and blade of grass. Obviously not!
Around ten thirty the showers seemed to be easing so we caught the bus down to Kingswear and the ferry across to Dartmouth. No sooner had we disembarked than down came the sleet, the farmers market was shut and I took a wrong turn whilst trying to locate the Post Office. Such is life!
Caught the ferry back across the river by which time it was noon and so dark the street lights were coming on as were the navigation lights in the estuary.
Noon and the new pontoon for the passenger ferry.
That's it, shopping, laundry and cleaning tomorrow.
This morning thought it time for a good walk. So set off for a place called Man Sands which lies a mile or so south of Brixham. This small area has had it's sea defences removed so that a wetland habitat can develop.
A chilly, sunny day but dragging my weary bones up hill and down dale soon warmed me up.
Raddicombe Wood.......We walked through some very nicely named places today. Penhill Lane, Forder, Woodhuish Lane to name but..........well all of them.
To finish off here is a superbly crisp image.
That's all.
A tribute to MARK LYTHGOE who died yesterday.
A gentle man, a fellow sailor, a fellow cryptic solver, a devoted husband to Lynne and my very best friend.
Left us in the lurch again you old bugger.
Yesterday we moved back up to Princetown. Primarily as it has a Post Office and secondly the countryside is magnificent. Yesterday was cold but gloriously sunny so some bright and cheerful pictures. Posts are likely to become a little erratic over the next couple of weeks but normality should return in the New Year.
Will post this as and when I can get WiFi. Have a really good weekend.
A clear sunny morning, we went for the bus at five to nine. It never came so went back to the truck to find I had misread the time table it's a Saturday only service. Well bless my soul! The next and first bus of the day was not until eleven by which time it had clouded over.
Running a little late but eventually got to Merrivale Bridge and not far away on the moor is a site of great antiquity it dates back to around 2700BC. Even by my standards that is old! I am fascinated by these places but recognise that one half metre high stone looks much the same as another so will restrain the number of pictures posted. The job consists of two sets of two parallel lines of stones with a blocking stone at the eastern end. There are several embellishments in the form of stone circles and a Kistvaen. The full words and music can be found by clicking HERE.
On to the photographs.
Loads more views but enough is enough, probably more than enough.
Rain, freezing rain curtailed the wander yet again but was very fortunate. Two old ladies I was chatting to in the pub were heading home passed the van so kindly offered a lift. Saved waiting for the bus in the rain. Better than that one of the ladies sons owns a camp site at Ashburton just up the road. So, another good day.
It seems ages since we had a really good productive walk. That time of the year, some days it hardly gets light. When it does the light can be superb, casts a pewter like sheen across everything. Not that I've been in the right place at the right time.
We headed up onto the moor, went to Princetown to unload some mail at the Post Office. Hopefully to be exported in locally made sacks. Knowing this government they will get mail bags in Devon from the prison in Peterhead!
On the way back, tried to park at the Dartmoor Inn but there wasn't space. This is my promise for tomorrow, a great little bridge, old settlements, druid remains, natural rock basins, Wildebeest, Rocs...........Ok delete the last two, got a little carried away....Probably deserve to be carried away!
Today we stopped on Whitchurch Common...Again! This year I have spent a good couple of weeks on Dartmoor and never set eyes on a wild pony, today couldn't shift for them. Not something you can creep up on, as you try to close the distance they amble away in a relaxed fashion which belies the fact that their comfort zone is increasing....My comfort zone wasn't, so busy watching the ponies went knee deep in a bog.....'Well I'll go to the bottom of me Grandma's stairs!' How can a man of my age and experience not look where he is going! Suspect it may be the age bit!
What was snapped today........................................
All the best, a bus ride tomorrow for some more images.....PROMISE!
