I MISSED THE TRAIN (06/09/11)

I was awake half the night listening to driving rain and wind. The dogs, being sensible,  wouldn’t get up so I had a bowl of porridge and at eight o’clock there appeared to be, what sailors term, a weather window. I kicked the idle mutts out of bed and we wandered down to Dalby Forest. A slip slidey walk. It looks a grand place but down came the rain………..just to improve my temper it was accompanied by hail. We beat a hasty retreat to the van. A measured hasty retreat……..It’s a short but steep climb…….why do I make life difficult by hoovering Marlboro. It does say on the packet they aren’t good for one. They weren’t today. I got wet and cold.

I had a second breakfast to celebrate our safe but damp return. Then at eleven out popped the sun so I harnessed the dogs and we set off for some wonderful images.

   This is Cross Dale. It’s near vertical, I could have done with wearing crampons, treacherously slippery it was. Our destination is Newton Dale which provides a relatively level track for The North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

      I missed the train…………..they run every half hour but casting an eye up wind things did not look pleasant. I may be slow but big black clouds were, after my experience earlier, a portent of rain or worse. I retreated. I find that steam trains are best snapped working hard, as this one is, pulling it’s load towards Whitby. Coming the other way and coasting towards Pickering they don’t belch steam and smoke. A tad of a non-event they are running down hill.

      Back home and dry. The Fox and Rabbit in all it’s glory and still in Sunshine!

The other day I processed an image of a Rose stem. I was, as usual, in a rush. Whilst waiting for my jacket and trousers to dry I had another go at it.

Here it is………I quite like it.

This is the original image. Whatever you may think. They are different!

The forecast is better for tomorrow so out with a long lens, a pocket full of bits for the dogs, a sandwich, a flask of coffee, a poncho and a map. Hopefully a pleasant hour or so in the forest. I won’t forget the compass. All trees look the same to me.

All the very best.