Adrian's Images

A YEAR OLDER…..BUT WISER? (23/01/12)

2012-01-23T17:45:00.001Z

I’m back at Lowthrop Fell…..you remember pie country from a couple of weeks ago.

I have to sort out my finances, pay my bills, get paid or not, spend time studying new investments like the National Lottery. The latter have actually lost far less on my pound a week investment than the Royal Bank Of Scotland. I’m twenty two pounds fifty pence in front. Not six grand behind. Bastards….Fat bastards. And bugger all dividend. Fatter fat bastards!

I wonder if Her majesty the Queen has ever considered her liability here. She wanders about sniffing fresh paint but to some of us ‘Royal’ means something…..I have never been sure what the something is…..I suspect it’s something I don’t understand. A bit like religion…it gives solace if one doesn’t question ones betters.

On no account give them money. Back your local crack dealer. It’s the way forward……financially.

The Americas (far north to far south) seem pleased to see Royals. They’d be on the streets and punching or worse if such a figure appeared in their democracies, plutocracies/ plutarchies and in odd cases, juntas and out and out dictatorships. I suspect we live and try to survive in the penultimate two categories…… I’m not sure. No choice is there? The fat cats always get fatter, fact of life!

Now I’ve had a couple of comments about comments or to be precise lack of them or the ability to post them. Fair enough!…..You are all blogging because you find satisfaction in doing so. Google do their best. I think they are doing nine out of ten best.

First, any problems read Blogger Buzz. If you are anything like me you will find it unintelligible. Second download Google Chrome, it’s free gives them some money, more than Queeny does, it helps to keep Blogger free. Not just financially free but really free….like pubs used to be…a state of mind free.

Most of us sort of blundered our way in, some had help setting up their blog.

Keep abreast of what is what and embrace change or discard it as I do…..I suspect it’s why you were in Blogland to start with. Go back to your roots and expect a bit of work for your pleasure. I want to keep my blog pure and simple. I don’t want flash backs or anything else. Background images, the awful new blog interface that takes ten minutes to load. I want it there and in my face. No pissing about. DeeBee are you listening?

When all that fails go to MARK AT CODE FOR COFFEE DRINKERS. (It’s something along those lines). He can sort stuff ‘quick sticks’ and even I can understand what he’s saying. It always works but I never trust myself, I copy my current template to my desktop prior to arsing about….Arsing about means messing in the gobbledegook of advanced settings it involves HTML or Java Script. I suspect they may be one and the same. Most likely the same as Geordie, Erse and Scots is to the pinched bum language HRH Queeny speaks I find them all equally unintelligible.

Don’t panic! Leave that to me!

……last January I recalled being a great month…..I've just gone through my pictures …..it was just as bad as this one.

The most famous lake in the Lakes….. Windermere.

The dogs had had a hair cut.

Today they are scruffy mutts. Funny how a year on it’s still Moll who is ready to escape and Alf who follows. They are away to Keswick next week for a haircut. I’ve now got them trained. No matter what they are doing I whistle and they come back……when they have finished what they were doing!

You will find, if you fancy commenting that comments fly up in a pop up menu. I like embedded comments so enjoy luditeville whilst you can. I will go back to embedded a week from now. Remember, I don’t ever ask you to type daft words. I appreciate the daft words you have typed, I hope we have a reciprocal policy here!

I do have odd problems with funny folk. The majority I delete. The minority of the head bangers are good. I reply. It takes all sorts to make a world.

Have fun,

CANTANKEROUS (22/01/12)

2012-01-22T16:58:00.001Z

The weather and I. A proper Victor Meldrew day. I hadn't walked a mile through ankle deep sludge this morning when back came the wind and rain. I retreated got back home soaked, before the kettle had boiled out came the sun. I’d decided to give the truck a polish inside. Three hours later the sun was still shining so we went out. This time I’d glooped and slurped my way a couple of miles when down came the rain again. The dogs are filthy. Little point in cleaning the van, little point in doing anything.

Tomorrow, I'm having a couple of days on a proper campsite. Washing machines, showers the works. I’ll finish the spring clean and then I'm going up to Coniston for a few days. The weather forecast is for more of the same. Mild and wet……it does get unbearable. January is the worst month for being in the camper. Sites that are otherwise open tend to shut this month. So choice is limited to the very expensive or with a few exceptions places I don’t want to go.

Next week Keswick is open so the dogs can have a hair cut. I could do with one but I’ve got used to the wild and woolly look.

I’m sitting here waffling on and moaning. I waiting for the starlings to come back.

I had an unusual visitor to the feeders. It had it’s back to me and the lack of light prevented any worthwhile pictures. It had a red head was about sparrow sized so either a linnet or red poll. A posh bird whichever it was. It’s not been back………I don’t believe it! I bet the damn kestrel ate it.

The sky cleared and the starlings started to appear. They seemed to be heading straight to the roost. I was lucky last week.

This is a picture of Wastwater and Yewbarrow taken in February two years ago. There is still hope for some winter.

Have a grand week.

LIGHT AND DARK (21/01/12)

2012-01-21T15:44:00.001Z

The dogs and I enjoyed a rain free walk down through the reserve. It is very windy, very little about. Two Puma helicopters passed low overhead and then the Pheasant shooting got underway so most birds had dived for cover.

The Causeway.

Light on Leighton Moss. There is not much light but a lot more than yesterday.

Grey Lag Geese.

I sat around waiting for otters but not a sign today. They are elusive animals. The Marsh Harrier was irritating the Wigeon. I’ve never seen it catch one but presumably it must. It has to live on something! Whilst down at Leighton Moss I called in at the shop. I needed a new fat ball feeder. The bloody pheasants have broken the old one.

The female woodpecker approves. I suspect there are two pairs here now as the feeder usually has one on it. They fly off in different directions.

For some inexplicable reason they seem frightened of the Long-tailed Tits. These turn up twice an hour a dozen or more at a time. A grand little bird.

The Nuthatch is getting brave or hungry.

Another half hour till the starlings come back…..it’s not looking good it’s far too dark to see them. I really hate this weather. There are breaks in the cloud but not for long and the wind is ferocious. A wonder there are any birds around at all.

I’ll see what tomorrow brings. More vile rain and wind I expect. It really is depressing.

I hope you are enjoying a more clement weekend.

PRECIPITATION (20/01/12)

2012-01-20T15:40:00.001Z

What an awful day……it’s too dark for pictures and too wet to enjoy a walk. I ran out of water, bad management or too many showers? So I got another soaking filling the water tank.

Leighton Moss last week.

If you feel like a laugh and a bit of Photoshop tuition then have a look here.

Tales from an English Coffee Drinker.

I’m hoping for a better day tomorrow. Not praying….I’ve tried that and it doesn’t seem very efficacious.

Have a wonderful weekend.

I’M HAPPY (19/01/12)

2012-01-19T13:42:00.001Z

It’s been a peculiar morning. Vicious hail squalls just prior to and just after dawn. They coincided with my visit to Leighton Moss…….lovely it was! Last week when I was here I saw an otter, another visitor said if I went out at dawn then there were usually three swimming around. They were somewhere else this morning. I’ll try again tomorrow. On the way back a rabbit shot across the track and a second later a weasel in hot pursuit. Good job the dogs were on the lead! It could so easily have been akin to a scene out of the Keystone Cops. Rabbit…weasel…terrier…terrier all heading over the horizon. As an aside I never realised a weasel could move so fast. Impressive it was. The rabbit escaped. I love the wildlife here. Kestrel, buzzard, merlin and marsh harrier all chasing the little birds. It doesn’t put them off, the feeders are doing brisk business.

This is a big hit……It was on special offer down at the funny farm. £1.30p a bag, if memory serves me correctly. It’s not as good as the picture on the bag but does include meal worms, dried berries and suet. They love it.

Whilst on food this is Cullen Skink. A meal I find irresistible. It has to be made with properly smoked fish, not the dyed stuff which is revolting. Like a curry it is better left for a day.

This is one strange pheasant. The Thai ladyboy of the pheasant world?

There are some strange pheasants here. This lady is convinced she is a blue tit.

I’ve moved the feeder nearer the hedge. The kestrels are a real pain to the little birds. I do like raptors but dive bombing my feeder without posing is a big No, No!

I’ll try for proper pictures tomorrow. Have a good day.

BACK IN NO-MANS LAND (18/01/12)

2012-01-18T15:13:00.001Z

It’s a very slow news day so click out now or be bored. I have a very strange sparrow visiting the feeders it feeds on the ground like a chaffinch. It has the same markings as a sparrow but more contrast and it’s a wee bit bigger. I’ll try and snap it. I suspect it’s a Spanish Sparrow it keeps going……… Que! Que!

I arrived back at Grisedale Farm this morning. I hadn’t even stopped the truck and pheasants were running towards me. On the way I did a Booth’s shop….the Cumbria and north Lancashire Tescbury’s. More Waitrose really.

Feeders set up and a bit of bread thrown out and a dozen were happily gorging themselves, ten days and they will be safe from shotgunists. Does anyone eat pheasant eggs? They are no sport as DeeBee commented about a week ago. The wee things can hardly fly and are almost tame. A lovely bird but in the males case a bit thick.

Does my bum look big on this feeder? No love! The feeder is small……………………….. I know the words!

I swapped my gas regulator. New years day I swapped a bottle and it’s threads were all anyhow. Much like me! These are for nothing a fiver sterling. Cheaper than fags…..Don’t tell Dithery Dave. Please! That fat bastard will tax them.

This is the old one…..I have to have a habitation check on the camper……four hundred ponds for some numpty to find fault with gas or electric……..I’ll take a chance. This is purported to be crimp connected to the gas hose….Rubbish! The regulations say hose clip…..in the UK we call them Jubillee Clips.

I’m a pie man….it’s a week and more since I saw a good pie. Just to balance my diet I’m cooking Cullen Skink for tea. It’s fish stew. The Scots got it half right. I add onion and prawns and cheese….forgot to mention the potato milk and smoked haddock. It is nirvana. Tip some cream in at the last minute and it is orgasmic.

I’ll leave you with this……..My bum isn’t big. I can fit a garden bird feeder.

No worries, she is a handsome bird. As I write she is back using her wing for stabilisation….little minx.

Have fun, see you tomorrow.

A GOOD WEEKEND (17/01/12)

2012-01-17T17:15:00.001Z

I have had a weekend off. One night at the Old Hill Inn and one at the Station Inn. Yes I did have a little more of the falling down water than I should have. I didn’t fall down though.

Ribblehead railway viaduct. Not a cloud in the sky, a beautiful weekend.

See!

The Station Inn. I’ve driven past it many times but this is the first time I’ve stopped. It’s a grand place.

The dogs soon made themselves at home.

The Landlady Jo. It’s well worth a stop.

Tomorrow I’m going back to Leighton Moss for a week and then on to Patterdale. I have done a Seeing to Pictures today should anyone be interested. Feed back as ever will be gratefully received.

Have a good week.

ALL IN ALL A GOOD ONE (15/01/12) PART TWO

2012-01-15T07:39:00.001Z

These are mostly from yesterday a few of the feeder ones have been snapped over the past few days.

In an hour or so I am heading off to The Old Hill Inn which lies in the shadow of Ingleborough. If I’m fit enough tomorrow I’ll have a wander up it.

Frosty vans at dawn.

I had a really good walk and found this barn and a small tractor. All I did find!

Just after I took this the sky turned almost black with geese and ducks. The shooters are out today massacring pheasant. I bet the birders were happy. I can imagine just getting set up in a hide and all the birds heading west as fast as they can. It could have been worse the shotgunners could have been wildfowlers!

Male and female Pheasant……there are anything up to a dozen visiting the feeders. In two weeks they will be safe for another year.

Long-tailed Tits and a Blue Tit. There are dozens of each here.

Greater Spotted Woodpecker and a Robin.

The starlings almost stole the show for me but by a short head, the socially and intellectually challenged among, the visitors to RSPB Leighton Moss have beaten them. I’ve had so many conversations, most informative and pleasant but at least one a day which was almost surreal. Hard to pick a favourite but…….I was passing the public Hide on the causeway when the girls from the stables caught up exercising the horses….I was just passing the time of day with them whilst the dogs had a sniff when the hide door opened and out reversed a chap, tripod and giant spotting scope. He turned round and said… Bloody hell! What’s that? I told him They were Horses! It’s nice to be able to return an ID. favour to a birder.

I’ll be incommunicado for a couple of days. Then I’m coming back here. It’s a grand spot.

Have a good week.

ALL IN ALL A GOOD ONE (14/01/12)…..PART ONE

2012-01-14T19:07:00.001Z

It was only minus three this morning but it felt much colder. There was no wind so it must be me getting soft. Just before dawn and the world was covered in a rosy glow.

It was too good a day for truck cleaning so it is still a tip. I decided to walk back up the hill and through the woods in the opposite direction to yesterdays wander. It was a bit slippery and boggy through the wood, a deerless but nonetheless enjoyable four mile stroll. I was just approaching the van when a dozen Roe Deer broke cover and shot away. That’s fate telling me……if I’d been good and stopped home cleaning they would have been grazing not fifty yards away.

Whilst not enjoying a Baxters soup for lunch the Spotted Woodpecker decided it was safe enough to pop down for his lunch. There are a pair of these but I didn’t see the female today.

It’s all go here…..soup forced down it was time to take a rucksack and collect peanuts and sunflower seed from the RSPB shop. It’s not far, a two mile round trip through the funny farm and one is into their bird food emporium.

I don’t seem to be able to cross the reserve without some minor altercation. This time I was accosted by a very strange bloke…..’ I hardly like to mention this but you are not allowed to bring dogs on the Moss'……I am. I replied. And I’ve got a map to prove it!……He kept waffling away till I said I’d had enough and would he leave me alone. You’ll be hearing more about this was his parting comment…..I was in the shop paying for seeds when in he came to report me. I was on the ball….quicker than lightening and sharp as a razor!. I said in a loud voice to the young lady counting out my change….’There he is…there’s the paedophile that’s been stalking me…..you know! The nutter I was just telling you about…..He was gone in a flash, no doubt off to annoy someone on Facebook.

Never a dull moment on Leighton Moss…..It’s so good I’m coming back next week for a fortnight.

It was a long walk home……I got chatting to the gamekeeper and the farmers wife and by the time I'd had a cup of tea the sun was setting…..Murmaration time.

I’ve always walked down to the reserve before but after yesterdays mediocre display I decided to watch from the field next to the camper.

What a show the Starlings put on………..I know it’s not good for them but for a super display one needs a Sparrow hawk or two in the mix.

On top form they were…………

They even got round to creating an image of a Humming Bird.

No sooner have they started than it’s all over and down they go into the reeds and to bed. There are reportedly eighty thousand of them….how one would go about counting I don’t know. Tonight they flew directly overhead and the flock is only a few birds deep vertically….maybe ten or so. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of the sight and sound of them.

I have lots more images from today so will post a part two in the morning before heading to Ingleton.

Have a good Sunday.

COOL AND CRISP (13/01/12)

2012-01-13T19:35:00.001Z

The rain, mist and windy weather is just a distant memory. it’s been another wonderful day. It is cool and frosty but I can live with that.

I decided to give the funny farm, sorry, Leighton Moss, a miss this morning. I have met several very pleasant and knowledgeable people there but barm pots both harmless and aggressive are in the majority. So it was a wander to Warton Crags Nature Reserve to look for the deer and some Peregrine Falcons. Seven miles of uphill and downhill and three hours later I’d seen a Nuthatch. I had the dogs on full deer alert but they showed no sign of having smelt them. The falcons, well it’s possibly a bit early for them to be looking for a nest. No worries, it was a very pleasant walk.

On Sunday I am moving to Ingleborough it’s the grey lump breaking the skyline dead centre. I never realised it was visible from here.

This is Leighton Hall in sunshine. It is a mess looking from the rear but this aspect is not too bad.

The feeders are doing well. A pair of Greater Spotted Woodpecker and a Nuthatch have joined the throng of Long-tailed Tits. It was soon half past three and time to wander down to the Moss.

The Starlings never came close today and in the absence of all but one Sparrow Hawk were restrained in their display. It is still a sight I love to see, a truly wondrous experience. I am here tomorrow so will have another go then. It’s truck clean first as all the wet weather has turned it into a real pit.

That’s all for today…..Enjoy the weekend.

AWFUL NIGHT - GREAT DAY (12/01/12)

2012-01-12T20:10:00.001Z

I was woken just after two this morning by a gale and heavy rain. At least it me got a signal on the internet. The wind must have been blowing the ether my way. The wind has dropped the sun is out and the signal has followed the wind. I had a couple of good hours down on Leighton Moss. Met a sociable birder who let me have a look through his scope. Brilliant things they are, I could see for miles. Pink footed Geese, Wigeon, Coot, Mallard, A Gull, Cormorant, Tufted Duck and lots of other birds that I couldn’t identify. It didn’t last…..I saw what I thought was a thin Buzzard. Apparently it was a Marsh Harrier.

The birder nearly wet himself with excitement. The waterfowl did. I had never appreciated the laxative properties of a Harrier. The first sunny day for ages and it rained crap. I really will have to get myself another long lens…..a really long prime lens…….and a waterproof wide brimmed hat.

Come on Camelot….I did mean to buy some numbers…..promise I will if you tell me the correct ones.

The feeders are doing brisk business, mostly Marsh Tits and Long-tailed Tits. This post is a right Hotch Potch.

Silage for the cows breakfast.

An old and obsolete Butter Churner.

A panorama looking northeast from the causeway.

Bull Rushes. I thought that was going to be it for today. A lovely sunny day. I went out at just turned three o’clock and went back down to the reserve.

It’s bed time for the Starlings. I’m sorry about the power line. I’ll stand somewhere else tomorrow but I was too spellbound to move this evening……..Birders call this a murmaration or something like that……I call it fantastic.

I’ve seen them on film and other peoples pictures but never in the feather. It is a stunning sight. Somewhere in the mix There are two Buzzard, two Sparrow Hawk and a Merlin. I could just see bigger birds but am assured that’s what they were.

All pictures will enlarge with a click.

The sun went down and that was all for today……What a day and we are promised the same again tomorrow.

RETAIL THERAPY (11/01/12)

2012-01-12T04:23:00.001Z

No change in the weather today……misty, wet and warm. I decided to walk up to Leighton Hall to look for the Red Deer.

Leighton Hall is open to the public but not at the moment…..there are no public to open for……No sign of Red Deer either so I plodded back to the van.

This is the Home Farm or what remains of it. Most country houses had a Home or Holme farm. It saved the milkman calling and saved money on butcher and greengrocer bills. Most have become redundant since Tescoburys came along.

After drying out to merely damp I played with my dongle…….the signal was worse than yesterday…non-existent in fact.

After the last of my pies and a tomato I set off on the three hundred yard walk to Leighton Moss. The place was heaving with people but not with birds. I can only access a bit of it as it isn’t dog friendly. The visitors on the causeway which does allow dogs were not dog friendly either. One chap, with a larger than average spotting scope, said , ‘Can’t you read?…It’s no dogs!’ I bit my tongue and went, ‘UrrArrgh!’ Whilst doing my best impersonation of Quasimodo. That seemed to sort him out. On we went to the RSPB Visitor centre. Tied the dogs to the bike rack and entered the shop.

By gum they have some stuff……Telescopes and binoculars in exchange for vast sums of money £2K for a pair of binoculars. Bloody Hell! Mind you the birds are a long way away. I was beginning to wish I was.

I bit the bullet and purchased a very nice Nyjer feeder from a lovely and genteel lady. She enquired whether I required the seed for it. I said no. Nyjer seed is expensive. I’ll see how it goes before I fill it up. I ended up with a couple of kilos of seed and some lens cleaner, the latter to keep it polished up so the birds can see the seeds. The prices were very reasonable, a pleasant surprise. My mate arrived this morning and accompanied us to the reserve and shop. He bought a clock that sings bird songs every hour. He must have got it working for at three o’clock I heard him exclaim………………What the F..k! Shut up Purdey!..Purdey is his dog. I opened the camper door and shouted across the fifty yards of misty field….Clock working all right?

Ivy Berries. Plenty of these around along with Coots, Grey Lag geese and Tufted Duck. I’m going out early tomorrow. The place doesn’t open till half nine so I should be able to have it to myself for an hour or so. Hopefully not totally to myself…..I’d like a few birds as well.

I woke to winds rocking the van so tried messing with the dongle again. It is now suspended from the spare bed in the roof and seems fine.

I’ll catch up later if it’s still working.

I KNOW HOW THEY FELT (10/01/12)

2012-01-10T16:41:00.001Z

We have moved five miles as the goose flies. Leighton Moss which I’ve scribbled round in red is an RSPB reserve. There are also Red Deer in the grounds of Leighton Hall. So if this damned weather improves then It should be a good few days here. It’s almost dark today and raining that fine misty rain that soaks one through in minutes.

I will not be commenting or replying to comments from here as I only have a bit of internet. I may not even be posting from here either. I’ll do my best.

This is the causeway bisecting the reserve. The only bit that is dog friendly. The reeds are a good six feet tall. I felt like one of that mythical South American tribe the Fukawis…..they are only four feet tall on average and live on plains where the grass grows to seven feet high. If one gets close enough to hear them chattering all you will hear is ‘Where The F..k Are We?’

It looks a good place. There are hides, lots of geese, coots and ducks.

The only bird I found today within range was this very obliging Robin. Much too dark for pictures but it is forecast to turn much colder and brighter.

I’ll now see if this will post.

A VERY LUCKY BIRD (09/01/12)

2012-01-09T18:04:00.001Z

Another damp day which turned into a beautifully sunny afternoon. Another seven mile walk this morning. The pie run or wander. I came back and changed the oil on the van. It likes a drink every six months. I need one considerably more frequently…….I need one now and will stroll to the pub as and when I've posted this. Tonight I’ll remember to put new batteries in the torch…..It’s not far but I have to cut through the woods and it is as black as a witches hat.

Not many pictures today. I took the camera to the pie shop but as seems to happen from time to time the dogs forgot to remind me to put the memory card in it. You’ve missed nothing except a rather ferocious rain storm so no worries.

This is one very lucky Blue Tit. Three days ago a Kestrel caught it and flew off with it but dropped it and it has survived. It is a mess but is feeding and flying. It makes the Coal Tits look positively dapper. It makes me look well groomed and polished. I don’t know why the Kestrel let go of it. They usually kill them on the spot, firing feathers left right and centre in the process.

Plenty of Long tailed Tits on the feeders today…..There are now three pairs of Bullfinch…..a Squirrel and Wood pigeon in addition to all the usual visitors. Before I leave the birds here are two dreadful images of …………….

I have to guess at a Willow Tit……It could be a Marsh Tit. Blowed, even after going to the paintings the RSPB post, if I can make my mind up. It seems to have a shiny head…. Should I change my mind again?

Now as the sun came out here is a rare sight.

I include lots of sky as it is a lovely blue colour.

A little bit of road……a little bit arty farty…..Right time for the hostelry for an hour. Tomorrow it’s Leighton Moss to watch Canada Geese and Blackheaded Gulls.

See you from there.

THE BIRDS----THE BIRDS (08/01/12)

2012-01-08T15:12:00.001Z

The sun came out today for two seconds. Very welcome it was. The weather is better than yesterday but only because it is slightly warmer. It’s darker and slightly wetter. How my Asian readers manage I have no idea. We went a walk this morning, only managed four miles, like walking in paddy fields it is. You lot must have webbed feet. This is the sunshine and the swamp. The dogs were black……they have been under the hose pipe. Daft thing is that a fortnight of dry weather and they will ban hosepipes….. Even here!

Folk in the southern sector of the UK are having heated debates over high speed rail links. A couple of six foot water pipes linking canals and rivers would sort out the water shortage in the home counties……Not my Home….the home of Queeny, the Government and the wealthy.

Government? I wouldn’t leave any of them in charge of an empty wheelbarrow. Who needs high speed rail…low speed rail is already unaffordable…… Just move north, you lot! There is usually plenty of water up here and you are welcome to drink a bit of it or as much as you want.

The feeders are doing better than ever…..It is an amazing place…..No hawks and their ilk today so the little birds are more settled. They are not eating too much, the feeders are more of a social thing.

The top two are Great Tits and the other is a Blue Tit. All happy as Larry.

From left to right…Great Tit….Green Finch (not totally at ease)….Bull Finch.

The Green Finch is the boss. Pecked the others off.

This is Mrs Bull Finch…..I hope!

Here they are together……there are two pairs. What smart birds. They are getting their spring plumage. No she hasn’t lost her beak. She is shelling sunflower seed.

A Nuthatch. They usually rule the feeders but Bull Finches have their measure!

All these images are bad. I had to sell the posh gear in October. Looking through the back catalogue or bin they weren’t much better prior to October. These are awful but they are Long Tailed Tits. The feeders provide more entertainment than the television. I’ve never been anywhere that has or had such a variety of avian guests.

We are here tomorrow then I’m driving to Leighton Moss…..I’ve found a campsite not three hundred yards from it. Thank you Phil. They will have really posh birds…..birds I’ve never heard of before. Time to buy incontinence trousers? They also have Red Deer…………that means time to purchase two pairs!

Have a great week………..I’ll try and post the Tree Creeper and the Willow/Marsh Tit tomorrow. They are damn near the same to look at. I do suspect they are Marsh Tits. They move too fast to be common! Good job I’m away on Tuesday I would have to get Keith's bird list going, From Sparrow Hawk to Sparrow to Robin to Woodpecker they are all on the feeders. A great, if damp place.

THE MEANING OF LIFE (07/ 01/12)

2012-01-07T16:20:00.001Z

Today is a write off………….I can hear you now….well why bother to post.

The weather is awful, heavy, cold rain showers and barely daylight. I’ve spent the day writing, failing to do the crossword, cooking and cleaning. The feeders are doing brisk business. All the common feeder visitors. Twenty six chaffinch picking up the discards, twenty six is the meaning of life.

The morning was enlivened by three raptors. A buzzard parked on my mates TV aerial. He came out to ascertain the cause of picture flicker. A sparrow hawk kept food consumption down as did a kestrel……….I did manage a very blurry shot of the latter but it was already ffflying off. Just one of those days.

Blue tit eating fat balls. These fat balls seem more popular than the average ones. I get them in Darlington they do dissolve in heavy rain, are a bit sticky to handle but the birds love them. I’m using three to four a day. Seven pounds for fifty they are. The kestrel caught a dozy blue tit but it escaped and is minus several feathers back eating. Can’t see it lasting long as the others are attacking it.

Green finch and gold finch on the niger seed feeder. This isn’t my feeder. Niger seed is a fortune.

Mr bullfinch…………Mrs pops round as well. Apart from the hawks the star of the show today. I have a tree creeper but needless to say no worthwhile snaps.

I hope you all had a better day.

SOMEWHERE NEW (06/01/12)

2012-01-06T15:36:00.001Z

Yesterday I braved the wind and rain and crossed the Pennines on the A66 from Teesside to Brough. Alf hates the truck rocking whilst it’s moving……I’m not keen……He is a real backseat driver. I told him to shut the Duck Up! Bad enough driving without a dog whinging away. Molly is good she curls up and sleeps till we stop. I say she is good….as soon as we slow she is barking at things….just to let folk know we have arrived. I have avoided this place on the edge of Morecambe Bay and on the banks of the Kent river as it is full of static caravans. It’s fine this time of year.

I know I was heading for Scotland but it is blasted wild up there. I also got a phone call from a mate who is here….he said the birds are demolishing his feeders so could I drop some seed off on my way. I thought I’d give the place the once over. The feeders are doing brisk business. All the usual visitors but also Bullfinch and, I think, a pair of marsh tits, could be willow tits, the wee buggers won’t stop still for a picture. I love watching the feeders. Better than the television they are.

This morning dawned bright and clear the wind is away and all was calm, crisp and dry.

Sunrise over the Kent Estuary……………..this isn’t Kent as invy Sarf. This is the river Kent invy Norf.

Same place, slightly different view. It is repetition but good sunrises are few and far between. I moved quarter of a mile for this vista.

Back and breakfasted I walked into Grange over Sands. It’s a six to seven mile walk with the dogs dodging off this way and that but Higginsons are renowned for their pies. Seemed a pity not to get one whilst within striking distance. I like pies….so much so I ate it on the way home so no picture but it was worth the walk.

I just remembered Bob purchased three so here it is a perfect pie and one out of a considerable range they bake.

If you want one you can always phone and ask for them to pop it on the train.

They are connected to the rest of the world by rail at Grange over sands. Now I’ll have to break for a minute as Bob is braving the rain to reclaim his pie………….and it’s bag…….Untrusting folk we are in the north. I had to leave him my watch as pie security. That’s why I’m rambling on, I’ve lost track of time.

It’s a little like a Holland in miniature here, drainage dykes and that sort of thing every few yards. This is a raised one. I was impressed but there again I had been walking for half an hour and this was the first photo I took.

Morcambe Bay from the promenade at Grange over Sands. This one is a multi-exposure shot and stitched. It’s as good as I got today. It is a surreal place…..The daft buggers have built a Promenade overlooking salt marsh and mud….No wonder my ancestors could conquer the world………mad as a sack of spiders they are up here.

On we wandered into town. It was getting awful dark again and it wasn’t even noon. Just as I entered the metropolis of Grange over Sands I noticed a sign saying Ornamental Gardens. Worth a look, I thought, this time of year they will not have sold out of pies, we diverted from the main drag for a peep.

Brilliant it was…………or they are. Different Ducks by the Dozen. Help please!

This is a small goose or a big duck.

There are a several of them and……………………..

Whilst I have little idea what they are, I’m hoping these are Mr and Mrs Eider duck. Serendipity is a wonderful thing. It restores my faith in the world. Three or four miles walking on tarmac to get here and then I’m miserable and then I’m happy……Thank you ducks, geese and pie man.

We’ll walk the other way tomorrow. It’s raining again but tomorrow the sun will shine.

NO WIND TODAY (04/01/12)

2012-01-04T13:11:00.001Z

It is another dull day. We have had a good wander but nothing much to show for it. The ponds on the nature reserve were devoid of birds. One can usually find entertainment with blackheaded gulls but even they were absent today. There were a couple of seals in the Tees but on the opposite side to me. I walked round and they had vamoosed.

Not a bird in sight. The two towers are the Middlesbrough lifting bridge and the tiny blue structure to their left is the Transporter Bridge.

Since the civil engineering works associated with the whitewater course have finished one can once again access most of the Tees Barrage.

I have posted pictures of it several times. If only because it’s two steps from the camper when I stay here. A year ago it was better at night as it was illuminated. Have a look HERE if you are interested in more of the same. They seem to have stopped lighting it up which is a pity as they have installed these Archimedes Screws. Presumably to generate electricity or maybe just for the green look……….Or more likely the green grant. A pipe from here through a turbine has to be more efficient. Politicians have to be able to see stuff working even if it is millennium old technology. Daft useless bats they are….one and all!

I’ve never seen them running. Maybe they are pumps not generators.

They are also red not green. They are also very difficult to photograph as they are surrounded by a heavy mesh fence. The fence you will be pleased to hear is green! I have mixed feelings about these alternative energy generation systems. This seems preferable to the wind farms that are such an eyesore and rarely seem to be running at anything like fifty percent capacity. They are always white and not green so are an awful blot on the landscape.

This little channel is a fish ladder. I show it because it is now accessible and, whenever the fish are using it, could be a good spot for both the poacher and the photographer. The green netting is not continuous. I don’t know whether it’s there to stop the fish jumping out or the poachers jumping in. It runs from the tidal Tees on the north bank into the fresh water Tees above the barrage. How the fish find it is a mystery. They must be damn good navigators, it’s only a foot or so wide.

The rams that control the gates that control the water.

Looking upstream. The boom is doing it’s job collecting carbon neutral fuel.

Not a bad walk today but the light is awful. It only hailed once for ten minutes so it could have been a whole lot worse.

I found the link to the old post using POSTVORTA. It really is quick and the more information one gives it the quicker it is. I had a word with Mark who invented it and he is happy to do your blog. He says, that once you register, his software sorts it all out…………give it a whirl it’s free. I’ve had it since the summer and only just started using it. Recommended by Adrian it is…………..so perhaps no recommendation at all!

I was away to Scotland tomorrow but still have stuff to sort. I’m going to do my bestest.

I hope to see you from pastures anew tomorrow.

THE CAMPER IS MENDED (03/01/12)

2012-01-03T14:45:00.001Z

The van has been to the doctors. Well I did it. The other day the engine wouldn’t switch off so I had a furttle about and gave the fuel shut off solenoid a clout. That didn’t work so I got a bigger hammer. Unfortunately the bigger hammer disintegrated the wire between the solenoid and the wiring loom. It is now under jury rig but works.

I’m here tomorrow as I have a load of pictures to edit and get away. Thursday I fancy Scotland for a few days. I’ll call and see Skip Bridge Garage on the way and let them deal with my handiwork. I must also call for dog food and diesel and petrol for the genset and fags and food. I’ll shut up you didn’t come here for a shopping list or as they say in Scotland a list of messages.

At last the White Water course is finished. There was one here before but I never saw it. For the last couple of years it was a construction site. It looks good enough for the Olympics…It is very windy so I’m afraid this image would not even get a bronze medal.

It’s a Pity the Olympics are a London thing. A great pity as the Northeast has the highest unemployment in the country. The Olympics would have been a real boost. There is a language Barrier as well as a Tees Barrage. The former is no problem it was held in Greece last time, even Greek has got to be easier to understand than Byker! The latter provides the head of water for these artificial rapids.

The local scroats would have loved all the visitors and the unheard of opportunity to mug folk that have something worth nicking. It would have supplemented their dole a treat.

This is Planet Middlesbrough with Portrack Nature Reserve at it’s core.

It’s been a busy day. I have got the van working, washed up from last night, had a shower, walked the dogs (twice) and now it’s time for a siesta. Perhaps not….there is a particularly vicious hail storm blowing through.

See you all tomorrow, have fun.

SNOWED IN (02/01/12)

2012-01-02T15:56:00.001Z

I have moved from Tan Hill to Stockton on Tees. The forecast was for seventy mile an hour winds and I have to be here tomorrow in any event.

I hardly got a wink of sleep last night. A really wild one it was. Snow and hail being driven by sixty mile an hour gusts in the squalls. The old van was rocking away and for all the wrong reasons.

I took the dogs out in a lull at first light. It takes them ages to get anywhere in snow, sniffing, rolling…..irritating the grouse. By the time they had finished messing another blizzard had arrived. Chilly in the wind it was. I told them. It’s a tad cold for mucking around and to get their backsides in gear! I also told them I was getting cross and wet! They couldn’t have cared less…..I remembered to say…. RIGHT….I’M OFF FOR BREAKFAST!… Both trotted back to the truck and near enough to heel. I’m thinking of taking them to Crufts. I’ll just have to recall the correct commands for the obedience test……I’ll also have to persuade Alf that it isn’t the done thing to stuff ones nose up lady dogs bottoms……That’s as good as he gets….it can quite easily get a whole lot more embarrassing. Alf waiting for his breakfast. The camper gets like a swamp the amount of wet they drag in.

I packed everything away ready to move. The gritter came past the skies cleared so I thought all my birthdays had come at once.

I took this panorama just prior to departure. That’s posh speak for going. Yes! That is a tent with a couple of motorcyclists in, Mad as a sack of spiders are hellys angels.

The yellow bit is roughly what I’m aiming for. It’s twelve miles of single track slippery slidy road betwixt us and it. The van is a fool in skiddy weather……No I didn’t make it the road or the van. We got stuck. Fortunately there were some of the party people in a Disco. (That’s a Landrover Discovery). Not the best things in snow but good enough. Six wheels churning away and my posh tow rope got us to the main road. I did a post years ago on the manufacture of said rope. IT’S HERE.

I messed about for two minutes trying to find it but then remembered I have POSTVORTA. Mark is an all round good guy. He can also make software sing and dance to his tune. He wrote Postvorta it’s free and does work. I found an old post. Magic!! How do folk invent such things? I have a day spent getting a new header to fit.

I’ve got to go now as it’s cooking time. I have a meal to do for a young lady……….when I was little the ladies cooked. I just waited and waited….. Better I do it now and wait and wait for her to turn up and eat.

I’ll finish off with new Years eve again.

I love Tan Hill and hope it remains a refuge for all people with disparate views……….some are a wee bit annoying, though they are not allowed to be abrasive. Neither am I!… It’s a delicate balancing act between freedom of speech and action without it becoming anarchy. It’s the best place in the world. Hells Angels to Citroen CV aficionados and their well behaved dogs, cats, hens, sheep and children are all welcome.

I suspect tomorrow will be rained off but we will see.

Have fun.

IT’S ARRIVED (01/01/12)

2012-01-01T12:42:00.001Z

New years eve at Tan Hill. A grand evening the revellers aged from six to sixty had a wonderful party, food, music and a drop or three of the falling down water.

Gregory, not the youngest, oldest or prettiest but by far and away the best dressed.

A rather sheepish dog…….the first guest to spill a drink. He wasn’t the last, nor does he seem too upset.

All are fed.

Time for the music………….the trade mark shoes of Ian M. Anderson.

Despite suffering from man flu he played a brilliant set.

This is the best of four shots. there always has to be one who thinks it’s big and clever to keep jigging around.

Fortunately there is also always a poser and a clown. This is Laura.

Joanna and husband……I hope it is….if it’s someone else's husband then there could be trouble.

Time to walk the dogs again…..heavy rain squalls and very windy……..lovely! Tomorrow there is snow forecast. We’ll see.

I hope you are all bright eyed today.

HAPPY NEW YEAR (31/12/11)

2011-12-31T08:13:00.001Z

We are enjoying rain, sleet, ice and snow at Tan Hill.

The camper has pride of place.

The road in is passable so no problem……it is a little icy.

A good sunrise. I’m enjoying the calm before the storm. I have the world pretty much to myself. By lunchtime the place will be manic.

Happy New Year I hope it is trouble free and prosperous for you all.

See you again in 2012.

THE LORDS SEAT (28/12/11)

2011-12-28T14:10:00.001Z

Today we have sunshine and showers. The latter are vicious wee things with hail. It’s about a fifty fifty split. I’m on my own again. Bob has headed off to the wilds of Scotland and Sue has headed home for the New year. The laundry is done, the lens rag is almost clean, there are some obstinate stains which make me suspect I mistook it for a hanky on one of our darker cooler wanders.

I looked at a post this morning which inspired me to find another. I don’t go in for Reflection Wednesdays and Thankful Sundays. Nor awards. They do boost site visits but I am incapable of the discipline required to earn one. I am just a blogger. Folk come and folk go! I welcome the folk that pop by.

These two are relatively new to blog land and the first is TREVOR. He is a regular blogger but posts irregularly . He posts quality framed pictures. I wish I could be as disciplined. I also wish I’d thought of this as a post theme.

The second is a lass who can really rant…..it is brilliant. Made more so by her having the face of an angel or whatever an Indian Angel is…Buddaress? I thought I could blow one but she is a super star. The David Beckham of the ranters and railers. Have a look here…..RUBY…… A super nova of the ranting world. She will hopefully respond by giving her real name……..no matter. A gem she is.

Back to today……A short walk in windy squally weather.

The woods round here have several little huts. Charcoal burners shelters Sue says. Whatever she says has to be gospel.

Here is another…………I had a look inside and it’s an old Privy……..a two seater. Obviously for his Lordship and her Ladyship. Their Lordships seats!

It has it’s own private midden. Wonderful are old shit houses.

There was a bit more light today so I stood in Turners spot and fired away. Freezing I was. He still painted it better. I have given it my best. Fifteen images have gone into this plus a load of cloning and mucking around.

I must make an effort this next year to get out more!

Tomorrow we are away to Tan Hill. I have to go. I’m on a promise. I hope she remembers those Niagara pills. Worked a treat last time. If she forgets then a cuddle is always good. You ladies are thinking….typical!….Not at all. I do the espresso coffee and the cooking. She looks after all the little problems! The very little things or thingys …….. So There!

Before I go what is this?

I saw three lots of it over three miles. It’s as big as half a handful. Mostly on Larch but one lot on Beech. Help please.

If I don’t post before the New Year, then I wish a Happy and prosperous New Year to all of you.

WE WENT TO CHURCH TODAY (27/12/11)

2011-12-28T05:58:00.001Z

We spent a night listening to the pitter patter of rain. It’s not cold just really miserable. The Wharfe is full up and I am fed up. We need a bit of light.

The river Wharfe…………it is purported to mean twisty in Norse.

On we plodded, up path and down path. Eventually after the only muddy bit I came to this.

A wonderful monument to Frederick Cavendish.

It is complete with it’s own little fountain. This was the best I could do with it. I messed about for a good while but still ended up with blown highlights. There are hoards of people around today which is not improving my temper. I don’t know where my ‘Goodwill to all Mankind’ has gone but it is noticeable by it’s absence.

On we pottered and arrived at church.

First I arrived at the churchyard. Now I’ve seen some funny things in my time but never graves in the form of picnic tables. It seems all the rage around here though. Different! I perhaps ought to settle here, folk are as daft as I am.

First I did the inside of Bolton Priory. It’s a great pity that Henry VIII destroyed so much of these beautiful buildings and that the locals compounded the vandalism by pillaging the stone for barns and houses.

No trip round ruins is complete until I have a view through an arch. Three arches in this case………it must be Christmas.

This is it……………….A grand edifice.

Despite the odd spot of rain and the all pervading gloom I enjoyed the walk and so did the dogs. They were black when we got back but the estate provide a boot wash come dog wash. Very handy, not that Molly and Alfie showed much appreciation.

We got back around one thirty and I did this post…….well I did a post and lost it. It just disappeared. The sun came out so the folk opposite decided to crack a bottle of wine or two in celebration. Then the people next door joined in……….it seemed churlish to ignore a party so I took a bottle. Sunshine and blogging obviously don’t mix.

I shall get out today but also it’s van clean and laundry day.

Have fun till later.

SHADES OF GREY (26/12/11)

2011-12-26T14:09:00.001Z

Well! That’s another Christmas survived. I only have New Years eve to go and life will be back to normal……Hark at me!…….Normal? For a Romany perhaps! We were out before dawn as Alfie needed a comfort break. I don’t think he was too fussed but he has a delicate tummy and Moll and I were really bothered. A flatulent dog in a small camper can only be tolerated for so long.

I just realized that I haven’t done a map……….it’s all the excitement. You think I’m being cynical but No! It’s been a very entertaining morning. I waited for some light and at around half nine decided I was waiting in vain so off we went to make the best of a bad job.

We walked down through Strid Wood to the river Wharfe. I have the dogs on a lead, I have one lead, they are tethered together. I let Molly off and she was away…….well. Bless my Soul! I’m Away To Hell In A Handcart!…There was a roe deer that I’d failed to notice. Silly me! Twenty minutes later she deigned to rejoin us. Fortunately I hadn’t got around to letting Alfie loose. He can’t find his way back if he mislays Moll. It would have been a days job finding him. On we plodded along the river.

The dogs met a Weimaraner a grand young dog who tempted mine in for a swim. Weimaraners are water dogs terriers aren’t. Whilst trying to conjure up a suitably hideous expletive to attach to ‘Come Here And Now’ the dogs owner appeared…..a joggeress in black lycra………….Just like Christmas it was. Took my mind off the dogs and their imminent watery demise she did. She also had dog control mastered. Stuck the first two digits of both hands in her mouth and blew an ear splitting whistle and out of the river he came and off she ran. I’ve being trying to master this. All I get is a PHEW….PHOO sort of noise. Mind!…..As I watched her continue her run Phew! Seemed to fit the bill. I think I fell in lust.

On to the dull and dismal pictures.

The river Wharfe and as it disappears round the corner……………….

The Strid, a diminutive of stride. The river goes from about two hundred yards wide to two yards. Stride and miss and you are meeting your maker.

It must be fifty or sixty feet deep with hollowed caves and allsorts of chambers under my feet to cope with the volume of water. It is said that no one who has fallen in has survived. It doesn’t look impressive but I was impressed. My imagination turned to Hades. Trapped for eternity swirling around in a subterranean cavern. It is not noisy and doesn’t make the earth move. It’s power and might are in it’s deeps. I’m happy I came to see it.

Cavendish Bridge. Yes it is Cavendish as in the Duke of Devonshire. He not only owns Chatsworth where we stayed last week but also vast tracts of land around here. Though I’m envious there is no way I would want the responsibility. He allows access so is a great bloke. He is also clearing trees to open up vistas not see in a hundred years. He is managing the land and putting in disabled access. A modern landowner who I congratulate.

Cavendish Bridge again.

Turner painted this panorama from this spot. I hung around for ages. No shaft of sunlight for me. Just about dead centre is Bardon Tower. The sun, sorry light, did hit it for a second……I missed it despite a half hour wait.

All images today are HDR. The water is popped back in as a two to three stop under exposure. Cameras lie but eyes don’t. I just tell fibs.

You all enjoy the rest of the holiday even if it is murky nasty weather.

CHRISTMAS DAY (25/12/11)

2011-12-25T07:58:00.001Z

Merry Christmas to you all….Between now and the New Year I’m just going to post random pictures. …….No change here then!

The Stables Chatsworth.

Christmas dinner ready for the dogs.

Turkeys get smaller. My lunch….must remember to cook it.

Have a great day.

THE CRYSTAL BALL (23/12/11)

2011-12-23T11:52:00.001Z

It’s cold and raining constantly today so it’s a good job I had a crystal ball and took plenty of images yesterday in what turned out to be a brief clement spell.

The Crystal Ball…………It’s actually a Campbell Stokes Sunlight Recorder. I spent ages messing with it trying to get a decent image of Chatsworth House reflected in it. Hopeless. I never noticed the bird muck on it either. That’s me in the middle.

A bit of the house. The bit I did manage to get a bad reflection of.

Another corner of the garden.

Chatsworth Maze. It is amazingly complex if you’ll excuse the pun.

This modern screen I took a fancy to.

To finish up today I have a couple of stitched images.

The Emperor Fountain.

The view down the park from the house looking north or thereabouts. I know it has a lot of grass. I did it on purpose. I wanted to convey space. This will pop up large with a click.

Tomorrow I’m moving up to Bolton Abbey for Christmas. I was going to Ravenglass but there has been a change of plan. I will have to go and do a shop……I’m dreading it.

I PAID AND WENT IN (22/12/11)

2011-12-22T15:21:00.001Z

It is a superb day. Mild and apart from one little downpour, dry and sunny. We were out first thing and spent an hour watching deer…….. eating grass…..fascinating.

We came back, had breakfast and I decided to bite the bullet and pay to get into Chatsworth gardens. They let dogs and cameras in, they don’t admit either in the house so that saved me a small fortune.

All images today are pushed pulled and shoved and are HDR. I like HDR. What's more I like doing slightly surreal images.

The scaffold is slowly coming down. This is Chatsworth house.

So is this. in the shallow bit of the house there are two little square plantations click to enlarge and you should see ER. Stands for Elizabeth Regina. Anyone know who she is?

This is the Emperor Fountain. It’s gravity fed from lakes four hundred feet up on the moor.

Here it is again. they rarely turn it on full flow. I don’t know why. It will fire water ninety metres or three hundred feet into the air. It’s running at about a third throttle today. I knew there would be a fountain bow. Just had to walk round the pond till I found it and wait for the sun to pop out.Brightens the job up a treat. A formal little pool. It has a fountain as well but they had forgotten to switch it on for you. Most remiss of them!

The Cascade. It had five gardeners polishing it up. They agreed to stand to one side whilst I got a quick snap. Grand! Accommodating folk they are. The water usually flows evenly but they had reduced the flow for maintenance. There is more to this than meets the eye. The sound of the water falling down the steps alters as one walks up it. The pagoda type whatsit at the top can also spout water from ornamental dolphins and other orifices on it’s roof. If you click to enlarge you should be able to see the broken aqueduct I did about a week ago it’s just behind the top of the pagoda.

I’ve no idea what this is. It’s a low sun evening shot to get shadows falling left to right. It could be a good one. They shut tomorrow till March. I’ll come back and have a look on my birthday.

The Conservatory Wall. The tower just above the middle of it has a beauty of a clock and is the entrance to the stables. I couldn’t fit it in but I did get the Hunting Tower. It has been a hanging about day. Just waiting for the light. I just hope I waited long enough or short enough.

A wonderful day after a grim week. Perfect light so any discrepancies in quality are down to me.

I have enough images for another three posts……….I’ll most likely need them this winter.

Have fun or do your best to.

WET, WET, WET. (19/12/11)

2011-12-19T14:01:00.001Z

This is going to be a quick post. It is raining and doesn’t show any sign of stopping. It was reasonable but cold first thing. Rain on frost so very slippery.

Not this slippery………….these were purchased a year ago and the day after the expense the snow and ice melted. I should have bought a swimming costume.

These are the answer on ice. They cost next to nothing and strap to any footwear I am using. Brilliant they are and when they wear down I can just screw another self tapper in. I could if I had any this size but that’s a minor detail.

I was out in the dark and found the deer. I couldn’t get closer than a hundred yards but not to worry. The stag is with these hinds still. I wish I could find them in daylight but they head off into the hills.

These are even noisier than the last ones but they can just about be identified as deer.

I came back in for breakfast and did another Christmas Card.

Merry Christmas to all of you. I wish this Oystercatcher would learn to fly straight.

I’m hoping for a fine day tomorrow and a look round the gardens here. Have fun.

THREE-TWO-ONE (18/12/11)

2011-12-18T12:02:00.001Z

Now it isn’t a bad day if I discount several freezing rain showers.

We were out at six thirty and it was fine, a bit of moon and the odd star twinkling away. I took a big torch with me in case I found the deer. Thought a bit of lamping might help to keep the beggars still. I never found them so that was a waste of time.

What do you call a blind deer?

No idea!

What do you call a legless blind deer?

Still no idea!

Sorry about that I’m trying to get into the Christmas spirit.

I did find my Christmas tree. Several in fact. I’m just hoping they will grow in time. Perhaps I’m being a little optimistic, perchance I should have started it off a bit earlier.

Now onto the three-two-one bit.

Three from yesterday afternoon……….This is the White Lodge at Chatsworth.

Two from our second walk this morning…….plenty of deer but miles away and the other side of the river. These are mainly hinds but there are two or three mature stags still with them. Usually they have split into all male and all female groups with immature stags staying with the females. It must have been the warm autumn that has confused things.

Finally, one from Friday. A view down the Derwent valley from the Hunting Tower. A rather gloomy view but never mind.

It’s a good job the Magi didn’t have to contend with this weather, travelling at night must have been a problem without a head torch, it’s bad enough with. Bet they and the camels fell over a lot. I do with a lamp. I only glimpse the stars about once a fortnight. Have all on, finding Palestine not to mention Bethlehem and a bit of a stable. I wonder what Jesus did with the gold, frankincense and myrrh? (Bet a pound to a shilling Joseph couldn’t spell Frankincense or Myrrh. I had six goes before spill chucker even recognised my efforts and I’m heducated ham I). Those naughty Romans stole it. That’s my best guess.

That’s all for today.

THE DEER HUNTER (17/12/11)

2011-12-17T10:10:00.001Z

The weather is despicable……..sleet landing on frozen ground…….the place is like a skating rink…….a wet skating rink!

I took the dogs out in Chatsworth Park. It was only just light so not very inspiring. This scaffolding has been up for what seems like years. They are replacing masonry, re-gilding and lots of other things that need doing. Only builders know what needs attention. They make that funny sucking sound before they start building.

On the way back to the van I spotted a group of half a dozen Fallow deer. They are common enough here but damn near impossible to get close to. The shepherd came from the opposite direction on his quad bike and chased them up to me. A few apposite words had the dogs sitting to heel. They require complex and repeated instructions liberally interspersed with a few choice Anglo Saxon profanities. Sit…..Heel. Really doesn’t seem to cut the mustard.

We all stopped still and amazingly the deer settled down only twenty yards away. I only have a few mediocre images. It was far too dark but they are the best I’ve ever got.

This didn’t seem like the rut. That should have been and gone. This is more just play. The one in the foreground was very brave. I’ll take him an apple tomorrow. I only had a banana which didn’t seem to tempt him. I oughtn’t to be surprised it doesn’t look much like a monkey. It doesn’t look anything like any monkey I’ve seen.

They made my day. I am a lucky chap. Like a dog with two tails I am.

Enjoy the last weekend before insanity manifests itself. it must be time to do the Christmas shopping. Can’t face that. I’ll do it later in the week or possibly sometime in January.

LIGHT! WHAT LIGHT? (16/12/11)

2011-12-16T15:38:00.001Z

I know I will have to reshoot today. I was going to pay………….don’t all faint…….and enter Chatsworth House. Sanity prevailed but mainly because the place was heaving with folk, mostly, looking at the coaches, those of a certain age. My age and older. They can be entertaining………….if one finds remarks like….”I wouldn’t give that house room”. “What we doin ere?”. Entertainment.

I’ve had the devils own job with the light. It keeps snowing but it isn’t settling. I walked up through Stand Wood behind the house to look at the Stand or the Hunting Tower. It’s a real bugger to snap as it’s in a wood. It stands does the Stand on the escarpment four hundred feet above the main house. It was built in 1582 by Robert Smythson.

Forty odd years ago I used to come courting here. The lass used to straddle the canon. No wonder that romance didn’t last, she, in retrospect, suffered from penis envy.

I can’t understand why…………I don’t recognise the slightest similarity to mine or have any affinity with them. Happen she joined the circus and became a human canon ball.

There are three of them, emplacements for five, a bit odd. All have different numbers cast into them and the government arrow. I suspect it started as a guide for the gun aimers or appeasement to the archers they displaced.

These came from a ship that fought at the battle of Trafalgar. It may be true or it may not……………I believed everything I was told when I was a teenager. I still want to be gullible but find romanticism so much harder these days.

I took the steps up the four hundred feet…………….I’m no spring chicken and felt the pain. Had to stop for a rest and a cigarette. Shattering it was. So I decided to use the road for our descent. On the way down we passed this.

This broken aqueduct was commissioned by the sixth Duke of Devonshire. Yes I said Devonshire……not Derbyshire…….confusing our little country can be. It is a follie, inspired by the Germans and built by Joseph Paxton in 1839 in the Roman style of aqueducts. It’s what they did with spare cash…….much like us and garden centres. I love this and what the current duke is doing. Got the place and given it a real seeing to.

A look down it.

A look up it.

All images today have had a real seeing to.

The lady is still indisposed, she is insisting it’s man flu. She will pose before Christmas.

Have a grand weekend.

WE ARRIVED (15/12/11)

2011-12-15T18:04:00.001Z

We left before dawn from Hawes I took the head torch and the dogs for a walk and then headed east. One can head south from Hawes but I just wanted a quick run so east first and then south. I took the Sheffield North exit from the motorway onto the A61. I really wished I hadn’t. A three car whoopsey had closed the road. The Bizzies out and freezing to death waving me off my route. I took the route and after an hour the carnage passed me. The first recovery truck held the remains of an unidentifiable car. If anyone was alive in it and still has a life I will be amazed. Awful at this time of year. For me just horrendous. I've never found Christmas uplifting.

Worse! I was in delayed. You may think this a bit harsh. You may well be right.

In my car racing days we were unsympathetic. A big cuckoo from someone and a red flag came out and stopped the fun. So no fun.

The highways are not places for entertainment so why do people drive outside their ability. Sixty miles an hour and less I drive at with the truck. A hundred and whatever in the old Porsche. I pull over whenever safe in whatever vehicle, let folk and Fire Blade and Ferrari drivers past. Considerate it’s called.

I really think that all the emergency services ( with the possible exception of one Royal) Need a bonus. The messes they have to clear up are horrendous. How they sleep nights, I don’t know.

We have arrived at Chatsworth.

This is a lovely bit of wall and it is supposed to have a lovely girl in front of it. She has flu……I know. I KNOW!…..only men have flu. TOLD HER!

You are just suffering a wee sniffle. I hope to resume usual insanity shortly. I have had a serious beating. There. Knew there was nowt up with her!

Okay a bit of Chatsworth. See you tomorrow

A CHEERFUL PICTURE (14/12/11)

2011-12-14T15:43:00.001Z

I’ve got a bit of catching up to do in Blog World. Today I’ve been doing paperwork. There wasn’t really much of it but I put the papers requiring work somewhere safe. So Safe it took me a couple of hours to find them. Good job I don’t live in a house!

Precipitation has not ceased all day. A mixture of rain, sleet and snow with a gusty wind that makes it feel freezing though it isn’t.

A view from Stotts Heights overlooking Windemere.

Keswick and Cat Bells.

These were taken around a year ago. I don’t think I have posted them before but I apologise if I have. I did take the camera for a very wet wander today and got nothing. I wasn’t even close to a picture.

Tomorrow I’m heading south to Chatsworth.

ANOTHER TWO POST DAY (13/12/11)

2011-12-13T18:06:00.001Z

I just know I’m going to regret this. Tomorrows weather is forecast to be worse than todays. I have over trousers and jackets hanging all over the camper. Not to mention two wet dogs trying to hog the heat.

I was listening to the expert analysisers on radio four. Still banging on about Dithery Dave and how what he has upset our European brethren. From what I could gather; the rest of Europe are not upset one iota. (Couldn’t give a flying F..K.)

Sarkozy/ Merkel. Don’t mess too much. Remember what happened last time. We can always bring the ‘A’ Team back from Afghanistan. Swap Dithery for someone who has the cajonies to deploy them.

Don’t worry. They are not going to fall out big time because people with no morals aren’t going to put themselves on the dole. After a year and a half in the job his dole is worth a fortune to me. Why didn’t I do it? Become an MP. I am not that bent!! That is why.

The Archers theme tune on radio 4 kicked me out of lethargy. I had done a seeing to, takes bloody hours, no one can understand them. No worries The Archers comes on at a convenient dog walk time, it also comes on at seven at night…………..not a convenient time. One day they will ban it as puerile crap. I just hope I live to see the day.

Off we headed into town. I’d fired the dogs off into a field for their necessary crap. How is it that dogs can hold crap for a day or more till the right piece of grass comes along?

Market day in Hawes. Just the one stall, this was shot at half two, it will enlarge but there is only the one stall. I purchased carrots, parsnips and fat balls. Mainly just to encourage him. It is blowing a hooley.

The post office. Reminds me that the truck needs a tax disc.

One of two good antique shops.

I love this one.

I actually visited the Spar shop. Needed milkandbreadandfagsandwine. There! Easy shopping!

Shot blasted we were on the way home this is the view from the van door. I actually love weather. I haven’t got the BBQ out. I’m not that keen.

Trevor said today. How do I shoot and post the same day? A lass asked a similar question . She said. “In two minutes!”

The answer is. I’m busy……. Doing nothing!……. Never the less I’m busy.

Enjoy your life….I love mine.

ANOTHER SLEETY DAY (13/12/11)

2011-12-13T10:59:00.001Z

See!

A couple of days ago JoLynne at MOUNTAIN LYON NOTES posted a couple of images and asked if anything could be done with them. There is always something to be done.

Before

After…………..I am never backward coming forward when it comes to doing a picture.

I have done a SEEING TO PICTURES and would be grateful if anyone with the time and inclination could have a look and let me know of any bits that aren’t understandable.

Hopefully normal service will resume tomorrow. Have fun.

ANOTHER OF THOSE DAYS (12/12/11)

2011-12-12T13:21:00.001Z

It’s not a bad day, damp cool and showery. I didn’t post yesterday, to be honest it was really vile, I had a visitor and I had nothing to post. I have nothing to post today but I am not going to let it stop me.

I was awake long before dawn and fired up the machine. Now I know I shouldn’t but I really enjoy anthropomorphism. I recognise that in some circles it’s regarded as not big and not clever. If you go here to DANIEL’S VIEW you will be converted. If you use Google Chrome you can have a peek incognito. It is brilliant. There nailed my colours to the mast. Thanks Daniel.

We were out as dawn was dawning.

I could have enlarged the moon but this is real. The view up Wensleydale. It’s not always as wet as this or so folk tell me.

A reflection, you haven’t see Haylands Bridge from this side before. I can hear you now Wowing away! That’s Molly who once again gets her piccy taken.

Back to the van and breakfast.

After that laundry and a damp wander into town for food. It’s been a busy day. I’ve emptied the grey and black tanks, filled up with fresh water swapped the propane bottle, washed the lino. Even had a shower myself. The job and Adrian are sparkling bright.

Visitors welcome! The truck is clean as a new pin, I’m middlin sparklin.

Now what are these……………………?

I see these balls of sticks all the time. Usually in silver birch less commonly in poplar. Not all have them but they are not a rare sight. Help please!

All the best and enjoy your week. We are here till Thursday. Then away to meet up with the anti Christmas brigade for the weekend. After that it’s a couple of days in Derbyshire then back to Ravenglass for a non festive season.

For John at MIDMARSH JOTTINGS. Is this better Sir? You can take the Sirs out of school but one cannot take the school out of Sirs. On a more serious note I do appreciate being told images are crap. Not sure this was rescueable but can I have a star for effort and another for good intentions. Please.

BECK ‘N’ BRIDGE (10/12/11)

2011-12-10T12:01:00.001Z

I realised that today means there are just fourteen days until Christmas Eve. I can hardly wait! I mustn't be a Scrooge or I must endeavour to try not to be. Here is my try.

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

This started out quite sensibly then the Adrian Effect manifested itself. It has gone a stage further at the end of this post but I must warn epilepsy suffers to avoid the last image today.

After a chilly night we wandered out in good light and a heavy frost. I forgot my spikey feet so was slip sliding all over the place. The first half mile was accomplished to the sound of my shouted….BLESS MY SOULS!!…..and ……WILL YOU TWO DEARS STOP PULLINGS!!!….Fortunately we had the world to ourselves.

The sun breaks the horizon. This is shot from a recumbent position. Not altogether intentionally but whilst I was on my arse I retained sufficient presence of mind to realise that the composition was better. The road is like a skating rink.

Into the field, dogs set free and on to the bridge.

Up to it.

Over it.

A quick snap from the other side.

And back the way I came. A smashing little bridge……….Now where have the dogs gone? Little Darlings!

Here’s one and where there is one the other will not be far away. I collected them up and we headed our tip toe, slip toe, way back for breakfast. I’m relieved that there was no one to watch my little step, pinched bum wander. They may have concluded I’d had an accident. I hadn’t but it was a close run thing. Frightening is ice!

Switch off now if you had a heavy night………………………

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

NO HARM DONE (09/12/11)

2011-12-09T13:32:00.001Z

The flood water has almost gone away. It’s still above freezing, barely light and snowing. Wet horrible snow for about seventy percent of the time. In between the snow it either rains or lightens a little. All in all it’s horrid.

I surfaced this morning to the news that Dithery David has upset at least two thirds of Europe. I beg you Europeans not to take it personally. He upsets a similar proportion of us on a daily basis. If his veto matters a jot then take comfort from the fact that he’ll change his mind next week.

I think that for once he did rather well……..Crisis Talks are never easy…….They happen when there is a crisis. The fact that the crisis has been obvious to all bar politicians for at least three years shouldn’t stand in the way of a good chin wag and dinner. I do suspect that were it their own money and not ours, it could all be sorted with a couple of texts, two e-mails and a conference call or three.

This morning the light was not good and we only walked a mile or so. Haylands Bridge was accessible again. Water levels are normal and the wind is away.

There is no damage but there are some small trees in peculiar places. This shows how deep the water got….impressive! More impressive is that it dissipates so fast.

This is Limestone country and there is more water rushing along out of sight and under my feet than is ever visible on the surface. I like these little springs. They pop up in the most unlikely places after a bit of rain.

Now this is a Packhorse Bridge. It is one pony wide and beautiful. I need some sunshine on it. I pass it every morning on our first walk but no matter what I do it looks a bit naff. It is, in reality, worthy of a post to itself.

It is a little gem of a bridge.

This one, a hundred yards upstream carries the road. This little beck is on the map but I can’t find a name for it. I did ask the sheep farmer yesterday he says it’s called Beck. That’s sorted that little problem.

The view down Wensleydale in a fleeting bright spell. Well worth going out. The dogs have to but it is nice to get a good sky at least once a week. Note I didn’t say great!

I almost forgot……………….The Pork Pie.

One of Yorkshires best pies……….there are better in Derbyshire but not by much. Great texture, melting pastry and the jelly is divine……….Give them a try if you venture into Hawes. There’s only the one butcher and baker. It’s by the old bridge.

The snow is settling as I write this so hopefully I’ll get my Christmas card shot tomorrow.

Have a beautiful weekend.

TURNED OUT GRAND (08/12/11)

2011-12-08T15:51:00.001Z

I am just in from our second wander. The rain stopped at noon, the wind velocity reduced by twenty percent and the sun popped out for a minute. Lovely it was, it’s raining again now but it will just be a light shower. This was taken on our first outing in torrential rain at around eight this morning. This is Haylands Bridge over the river Ure and is taken from the same spot that I took the dawn snap a couple of days ago. This is not HDR the haloing on the bridge parapet is rain bounce. We were soaking, wringing wet, it is cold and I got Trench Finger.

There! I knew the rain couldn’t last it’s just stopped.

This is as close as I could get at lunchtime. I could have got closer but would have ended up in the river then the Ouse and thence drifted into the Humber and the North Sea.

Tourists water watching……………I did ask them to pose in the water………..miserable lot declined. So I can’t give a visual impression of depth. The walls are around three feet high. Best I can do!

The sheep are watching the tourists………they are marooned. I called at the farm to let them know. The dialect up these parts is a bit strong but I came away with the impression that he knew. He also said something to the effect that they were silly little darlings. He mentioned they could do with a hand…..there were three of them plus a big tractor so I explained that I was allergic to wet sheep. I did as he suggested and buggered off and quick. Maybe I was a tad hasty lanolin must be good for Trench Finger.

The camper is just to the left of this row of cottages. It’s stopped raining again but if I don’t post tomorrow keep an eye out for my Dove.

On we plodded into town……..I wanted to see the Beck but also wanted another Pork Pie. Brilliant are the Pork Pies here. I’ll Take a piccy of one so you can enjoy it as well.

We went through all this a couple of days ago but for dementia sufferers…. Gayle Beck, the Mill, and the Old Bridge taken from the New Bridge. The mist on the building in the background is spray……………It really is giving it Jolly What Ho!

Gayle Beck from the Old Bridge…….This is a stitched image. I thought it would be a manual job but no. It is straight out of PS Elements. It will enlarge but I couldn’t find a seam line anywhere. Brilliant! Thanks Adobe.

Wensleywater………There was an old Greek philosopher called Thales who famously believed that the whole world started from water……….Daft Bat! Water is starting from the world! The world is dissolving.

Have fun, I hope you are all safe, sound and dry. It’s raining again….just a short shower.

WETTER (08/12/11)

2011-12-08T07:10:00.001Z

This is the GRIB file for noon today. It doesn’t look promising. I have a choice to make.

(1). Start the Ark. Too much work and too late.

(2). Go out and try and ignore the wind and rain.

(3). Stay in and play.

I have to take the dogs out so may as well take the camera with me. I played yesterday. Not very successfully.

A virtual Post Box for virtual mail.

Details of these filters can be found here at MIDMARSH JOTTINGS. John had more success than I did so they are worth a look.

I’ll see you all later, stay safe.

IT’S A BIT WILD (07/12/11)

2011-12-07T10:52:00.001Z

The pictures here are all from yesterday. The weather is awful. Very windy, raw cold and the precipitation covers it’s full repertoire, rain, hail, sleet and snow. I am having a day in.

After a grand first walk yesterday we went out again………the magic had disappeared and though dry the light was very flat.

Gayle Beck. This will get better as the rain continues. This is from the old bridge.

The old bridge from the new bridge. The building on the right is an old mill and the curved wall is what remains of the waterwheel housing.

We wandered on to Saint Margaret’s church.

This is relatively modern and was completed in 1851. There was a much smaller church sited about where I’m standing. I like this church. Some I go in and they feel peaceful and welcoming this is one of them.

Here is the inside in glorious HDR or inglorious HDR depending which side of the fence you view it from.

This I have snapped on several previous occasions, this is far from perfect but the best yet. The Millennium Window I see the Ribblehead viaduct. A Shepherd, Gayle Beck, the river Ure and the market. The window commemorates three hundred years of markets in Hawes or to be pedantic the Tercentenary of Hawes Market Charter. I’ll get back here when the light is better.

Tomorrow or possibly this afternoon I’m going waterfalling as the becks are full to overflowing. I will try to stop dry.

That’s all for today.

JUST PERFECT (06/12/11)

2011-12-06T10:57:00.001Z

After a night that sounded a touch unpleasant from the noise on the camper roof I woke to a perfect day. This is Haylands Bridge spanning the river Ure. We are in Wensleydale but as far as I know there is not a river Wensley……..the dale is named after the cheese………I think!

The river Ure.

A view down Wensleydale.

The first of the sun.

A wonderful start to the day. It’s time for another walk before it spoils itself.

IT’S SNOWED (05/12/11)

2011-12-05T17:36:00.001Z

I have had a relaxing weekend in the Yorkshire Dales. This morning we woke to a white landscape. Winter is here. The snow is a bit wet and slushy but hopefully it will freeze up and provide some wonderful scenes.

We are now in Hawes and stopped for a walk on the moor on the way over from Chapel le Dale. We have all had a good social and slightly boozy sojourn at the Old Hill Inn. Even the dogs, they have friends there and someone tipped a pint of lager over. The dogs dealt with that…….pissed dogs are a nightmare.

Batteries are fully charged and I'll catch up with the world of Blog tomorrow.

A panorama looking north from just outside Hawes. I hope the high point on the horizon is Stags Fell.

Ribblehead Viaduct. The light never got better than this in over an hours wander. It did get worse and I was glad to have had the foresight to wrap up well and take map and compass.

The dogs think it is wonderful. Difficult to believe these are the same beasts that were snarling at each other, Cooper, Moose and Peggy over the fire in the pub only twelve hours ago. Where there is little sense there is less feeling.

The Gritter clearing my route over the moor to Hawes.

We only had one hold up where a four by four and a trailer load of sheep had nudged a wall. No harm done though the wall will require some attention. The big blobs are snow. When it snows it really does come down but it is thawing in between the showers.

I thought that apart from the gritter this post could have been shot in black and white so I’m just back from town on an expedition for colour and a bottle of wine.

No colour here and it was freezing.

Just as well we found a fire. I couldn’t get at it but it still provided a warm.

I just got set up on the corner of the Bank when White Van man pulled up. Knock me down with a feather! Never mind………….at least there is colour. Now I would show you a picture of the wine but in all the excitement I forgot it. I also forgot to clean the lens I see a snow drop has dropped on it.

Have a grand week and try not to slip slidey over. If this lot freezes I’ll have to find my spikey shoes.

NOTHING CHANGES (02/12/11)

2011-12-02T16:56:00.001Z

Today I have been really trying, it was freezing in the van last night. I got up switched on the central heating and the gas bottle gave up the ghost. Out into the cold and changed to the spare. The dogs were supervising through the bedroom window……….yes I have to keep it open as little Alf has a delicate tummy and produces more gas than I would ever need for heating and cooking. He really can stink a whole house out. There have been occasions when even he has become concerned and growled at his own bottom.

We went out late around tenish down to the church of St Mary.

This predates Norman Architecture, in bits! Most was built for a place in heaven by local landlords. At least it was open for peasants today. I don’t know why it didn’t get me all humming and singing. The images that follow I have spent as long processing as the benefactors of this edifice spent on design. The following are noisy and rubbish with one exception.

A pretty standard font. It’s for dipping babies in. Poor we mites!

This is a really green church this is the original bit. No lights on and not a switch for lights I could find. This side does have a good window…………………………….

Dedicated to the Royal British Legion who look after the poor souls who go to war on my behalf. My behalf? No they go to clear up the mess left by incompetent politicians. Or in Thatchers case to secure another term in office. I wonder has she ever been to the Falkland Isles. Bloody awful was down here. We have more fossil fuel under Blackpool than they have oil . Blackpool is far worse than the Falkland Isles. Did she ever go to Blackpool before she created loss of life in the Falklands?

A view down the old end of the church. The wee white signs are telling us all about it. A nice touch. A slot meter for lights would be a better one!

Now I can well understand you Myddletons. It must be blasted hard living between two towns. This naive of the church must have been built by you lot but as you can see from the poor image the money was spent on your glorification and not on the Lords. The whole apse has these marble friezes and a cheapo glass windows. Well three sides of it. One side is missing stained glass. Funny how I get a feel for a place!

I went back out, Had another wander round the graveyard, nothing much to report. Nothing Much! Wash my mouth out…….Dead miners by the dozen. …………………………………………….And……………….

A stunning little mausoleum. How did he get permission? Good on you! You Paid Pal. It looks so masonic but then christianity spawns as many devils as it does heroes. This is the final resting place of the Second Baron Trevor.

I did my best but his plaque maker was a bit on the cheapo side of quality………….it says.

The resting place of all that was of mortal of Arthur William Trevor 2nd Earl of Trevor. Died 1923. And of Rosamond hs wife died 1942 And of their only child Mary died 1904.

Don’t bother looking him up. I did His dad was a bit of a tosser……………He did nowt………much like the Myddleltons. I presume one of our royals may have married into this lot but I suspect it is a different lot.

Now I have been in a bad mood since the national strike. Yes they are right to expect their contracts to be honoured.

I must just say……..you are awful hard to deal with.

We move on tomorrow so leave you with these.

Planet Factory……………………….

I was in the mood for a rant

Have a good weekend.

WOOD CHIPPING (01/12/11)

2011-12-01T14:05:00.001Z

We were out just after dawn….about an hour after as last night sleep was interrupted by heavy rain. This meant I was a little late getting ready this morning.

I wandered through the woods and being in a generous mood allowed the dogs to squirrel chase. A favourite pastime of theirs. I don’t really know why as they have never got anywhere near catching one. It does keep both the dogs and squirrels fit. Whilst they terrorised the tree rats I found these.

A beautiful lilac coloured fungi which I think must be Blue Green Funnel Caps Clitocybe odora. Not that there was much of the odora bit but what there was smelt vaguely of aniseed. I’ve never seen these before.

It was time to wander down to the Kronospan Fibre board factory. I must have left my thinking head at home. This place is massive and I could see little point in trying to blag my way in with two dogs in tow.

I got close enough……….I find it beautiful. It’s next door to Kraft Foods. What used to be Cadbury, the smell of chocolate was a little nauseating but I survived……….shan’t be eating chocolate for a while though!

I went down to St Mary’s Church and it was open…….I did get inside but they were having a service……….I got booted out almost immediately which I thought a little unchristian of them. Perhaps tomorrow they will let me in.

That’s all from todays expedition. What follows is a bit of catchy uppy.

At the side of the canal in Froncysylite there are the remains of these old Lime Kilns. There are also some much older ones in peoples gardens. I should have snapped them but forgot. The reason for this rather drab and uninspiring image is this.

It is the memorial to the Chirk Castle Lime and Stone Company. I quite like the old iron picks that have been incorporated.

It is a little bit of whimsy, it’s not dated and seems to have little purpose considering the amount of work that went into it.

Carved in the Primitive Style…..that’s being kind. I have looked up both the memorial and Canada Bill but no one seems to know anything about either him or the monument.

That’s all for today, happy December.

AT LEAST IT’S SUNNY (30/11/11)

2011-11-30T13:08:00.001Z

I was going to have a real old rant today………I have actually drafted one. Seeing it’s a grand sunny morning I've decided the smug, fat, greedy, useless, cretins who assure me they are running Little Britain can wait a day for my attentions.

I should have headed for Chirk Castle, perfect light this morning. If you wish to see it then follow these links.

RAMBLES WITH A CAMERA (1)

RAMBLES WITH A CAMERA (2)

EAGLETON NOTES

We wandered down through the woods to the canal. It was a bit nippy but dry.

Chirk Aqueduct………….Does this work? I stood about freezing my fingers off for twenty minutes waiting for the sun to be just perfect. We all make mistakes. I blame the mess the previous photographer left the vista in. Either he or the Greeks, possibly the Italians………It couldn’t be my fault. Could it?

I’m struggling. So I’ll turn around and forget shooting into the light.

Chirk Tunnel……….this is a bit better. It was time to wander into town and get some food.

Saint Mary’s Church Chirk. The bit to the right is an extension I think the tower is out of all proportion to it.

Looking from the rear and ignoring the left side it is still a big tower. It was shut so I couldn’t get inside.

I carried on up the street calling at the bakers, butchers and the Spar shop. I dropped some snail mail off at the Post Office and it was time to head back home.

This large factory attracts me………it could be considered an eyesore…….I like it but will have to try and get closer. The obvious thing to do is to go to the main gate and ask for a look round. I’ll give it a try tomorrow.

This is another aspect of it taken a few days ago. It makes Fibre Board. Basically they mash trees up and stick them back together again. I know it sounds daft but it keeps the populace out of mischief. Whilst looking back for this picture I realize you have only seen the Aqueduct from the aqueduct.

Here it is with the larger railway viaduct behind it.

That’s all for today. I hope the sun is shining on you.

This is reworked at Monica's suggestion. It is one of many images that is almost there but not quite. I really do need feedback and not sycophancy. I do want to get better. Thanks Monica. Now I’ve nipped too much from the right hand side. No worry, I still have the five originals.

I KNOW HOW HE FELT (29/11/11)

2011-11-29T06:58:00.001Z

Yesterday after the Tom Foolery with an unrobed Farther Christmas I carried on to Chirk Castle. It was shut. I didn’t bother with too many pictures as the light was awful. If you would like to have a good look then SCRIPTOR SENEX FROM RAMBLES FROM MY CHAIR was here earlier in the year and took lots of photographs of it. Inside and out there are more HERE.

This fine edifice was completed in 1295. It looks as if it was extended and mucked about with up to Victorian times. It is impressive and commands wonderful views. I wouldn’t mind a good look round.

The topiary is some of the best I’ve ever seen…….these are all Yew. There is a lot of maintenance here even taking into consideration that Yew is slow growing.

I must confess it really isn’t my favourite sort of place. I can appreciate it but it leaves me wishing it had grown old with a bit more dignity.

I set off down the hill towards the Castle Mill. I noticed it on the map and thought it may prove interesting. It didn’t and isn’t.

It appears the path is closed but it mattered not as I’d already wandered it when I found this sign.

This is The Great Oak of the Gate of the Dead. It stands at the point where Offa's Dyke crosses the river Ceiriog.

In 1165 Henry II decided he had had it up to his eyes with the Welsh. They were being real pests, nipping over the border stealing cows and pigs and hens and other folks wives and daughters. Generally making a nuisance of themselves.

He gathered together a great army and set off from just down the road at Oswestry. His intention was to give them a good seeing to. Unfortunately the Ceiriog valley was full of impenetrable forest. He commandeered two thousand lumberjacks to clear a way for his Pikemen, Cavalry and everything else that goes along with great armies.

The Welsh were having none of it and led by Owain Gwynedd, harassed the vanguard of Henry’s army from the cover of the forest. It all came to a head just here and the battle of Crogen was fought on this very spot. Henry and his army took a real pasting and though he suffered heavy losses he did manage to breach Offa’s Dyke and continue into Wales.

It then started raining. What with the weather raining on him and the Welsh archers taking pot shots from behind every other tree he became a little disenchanted. He called it a day and went home to France.

I know just how he felt. It’s cold, windy and wet.

The Welsh remained independent for another one hundred and twenty years.

As I’ve yet to be shot at by archers and can tolerate the weather, assuming they will have me I’m stopping a few more days.

Have fun.

ODD FOLK! (28/11/11)

2011-11-28T12:07:00.001Z

THIS POST IS ON NO ACCOUNT TO BE SHOWN TO CHILDREN IT INCLUDES NAKED IMAGES OF A LEGEND AND A DEAD BEAST.

We’ve enjoyed another circular wander this morning. This will not be a two post day. It easily could be but the forecast for tomorrow is awful. I’ll keep you in suspenders for my take on Chirk Castle.

I left with the dogs in tow or with me in tow of the dogs would be a more accurate depiction of our strolls.

I’ve taken to setting off around seven thirty as it is just about light enough to see what I’m treading in and walking on. We were around an hour out from the van when I noticed these lights in the forest.

I followed them………..had to……….couldn’t resist! I must have been a moth in a previous incarnation.

This notice answered the questions rattling around in my head…………the lights are to save birders getting lost.

An excellent service………..considering The National Trust, who own this woodland, I accused only forty eight hours ago of being a bit careful over their expenditure on gates.

Look what I found at the end of the lights…………………………………………………

This is Santa without his clothes off!………….

Disgusting it is!…… He did not want his picture taken but I can’t understand Lapp or whatever language he attempted to communicate in. After I threatened to tread on an Elf he relented and posed.

He is expecting lots of school children so had to dash and get dressed. He suggested I pop back in an hour to see him in his finery. I was tempted………….Where there are school children there are, in my experience, several ‘Pleeese Misses’ and these days ‘Assistant Pleeese Misses’. It's much cheaper to catch them at work rather than in the pub. I can give them the benefit of my wit and repartee without there being any danger of my having to buy them a drink.

That’s the censored bit over………..almost.

This is a dead sheep but the first I’ve seen that has survived this intact. It looks like those things that they dig up in Irish peat bogs. The skin is as hard as nails. No smell, it’s almost mummified. It could be a young deer but it tasted of mutton………just jesting! These are usually picked clean within a week or so by foxes, crows and buzzards. So, for me, another odd thing to find.

Odd folk find odd things.

See you tomorrow.

A DAY OF REST (27/11/11)

2011-11-27T14:52:00.001Z

Not for me and the wicked it isn’t.

We were out as soon as it was light enough, it was still very windy, well it wasn’t still so ignore the first still. It also kept raining. Not to worry the weather guessers were promising a sunny day so we plodded down to the Llangollen Canal and headed north.

It’s a bit damp and murky but at least I saw a rainbow.

A barge. A canal would not be a canal without a narrow boat.

A bridge or two………..

Yet another tunnel to navigate. That reminds me the head torch needs new batteries. It gets dark in tunnels.

I only include this because if British Waterways had done a little scrub clearance then this view of the railway viaduct over the river Dee could have been wonderful. Idle buggers, I thought, as I sat on a bench composing the shot.

This is Pontcysylite Aqueduct.

The dogs were very impressed. I told them it was designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1805. It’s 1007’ long and 126’ high. They think it’s just water.

It was blowing half a gale so I only went a few hundred yards onto it…….it casts a fine shadow though.

The trough is made of cast iron and supported on nineteen hollow masonry piers. It still looks as good as new.

It was well worth the wander.

That’s all for today. I have lots more images and will save them for a rainy day.

Enjoy the coming week.

UNDER AND OVER (26/11/11)

2011-11-26T12:39:00.001Z

This morning we have had a wander down to the Llangollen canal. A very windy but dry day. As I mentioned yesterday I am only a hop skip and a jump from the border. I’ve popped a little circle round it.

It’s a bit dark and murky for photographs so I’ve done most of the rest in HDR. It brightens things up a touch.

There, that’s better. The first image is looking from Wales into England and this is looking from England into Wales.

Chirk Aqueduct. It is seven hundred and ten feet long and seventy feet high. It is the work of Thomas Telford and was finished in 1801. The railway viaduct is by Henry Robertson and that was finished in 1846. It is all happening here………………..

On the Welsh side is Chirk Tunnel which is four hundred and sixty yards long and coincidently carries the canal under my van. Almost anyway! Three miles from here through the tunnel is the highest and longest aqueduct in the UK at Pontcysylite. That is going to be tomorrows destination.

In the tunnel looking out.

Chirk………..I could be here a day or two as there is plenty to see and do. It’s a grand place and well worth a good look round.

Enjoy what’s left of the weekend.

CROESO I CYMRU (25/11/11)

2011-11-25T15:59:00.001Z

Today we have moved to Wales. We have gone foreign for the first time in a year or more. The title means Welcome to Wales…………Should the ‘C’ in Cymru be a ‘G’? I just took it from the road sign a couple of minutes down the road, I am only just dipping my toe into a foreign land. I exclude the dogs because they are happy wherever they are. A bark or a yip is much the same in any country.

We were out at dawn at yesterdays stop. Andrew treated me proud to a grand meal last evening. I’m still full of cold so wasn’t the best of company but it is good to meet bloggers. Blogging is a sociable occupation for unsociable and gentle folk. I’ve met a quartet and have never been disappointed. Thank you Andrew……….If you want to know who he is, he’s the magic artist at video editing……….The link is on yesterdays post.

Blakemere Moss at dawn.

The dawn was rubbish but I spent thirty minutes watching these Whatdo youcall it’s. Three separate lots of them flapping about, splitting and combining again, wonderful they are, they are Peewits……….I’m not totally ignorant. I’m also not a very good snapper because this is the only image in focus of a dozen I took.

We are now just outside Chirk. I’ll do a map tomorrow when I’ve seen the castle and the viaduct. The town looked fine as I passed through so will give the immediate few square miles a good doing in the next few days.

This is an MDF plant it produces medium density fibreboard. (Dwysedd canolig ffibrfwrdd) For Welsh speakers I’ve translated it. (Mae yn y cromfachau). How is Google translator doing? It’s your fault if it gets it wrong! A great language loads of double consonants but if you speak a bit falsetto it is not too hard to imitate. I’m not speaking to you Welsh I’m helping the other nine hundred and ninety nine percent out. I lived with a Welsh speaker donkeys years ago. It is a reasonable and poetic language, the wrdd is wood and said pretty much the same as normal……….sorry, as in English, my English not the queens.

These are the gates to Chirk castle. Wonderful wrought iron gates. They look a bit mediocre but that’s because the National Trust have painted them white. Also this is the longest edit I’ve had in a long while …..A nightmare to stitch the four images together. The caps on which the Griffons stand aren’t wrought but cast I didn’t go to look but suspect like the griffons or wee dogs, whatever they are, are cast using the cire purdue process which goes back to Roman times they called it Cire Pudta Romans were fond of consonants ….lost wax, in English.

A wonderful gate that made me forget I’m poorly. I just took these on a lie of the land walk.

Proper wrought iron gates have to be constructed like this. A mirror image of one face reconstructed on the other. The French look after theirs, Go here DEEBEE is for ever wandering Paris and taking pictures of gates. I’m yet to be convinced that some of the Froggy gates aren’t cast iron but they are still wonderful……… I’m refering to Paris France………for you Texans. The French paint theirs black and guild them with gold leaf. Makes a world of difference. I love this stuff. So much work by artisans and they could reproduce a mirror image of it. The definition of a craftsman.

Now I am going back to fungi. These are big ones………….I am going to catalogue this autumns fungi and bang them up to I Spot…….It’s a British Open University web site that has lots of folk that know, not only what I’ve found but what it is.

I have a problem, the problem is I’m a bit thick. I would go for a funnel cap or to use the Latin Clitocybe. Sounds posh but what sort?

I think this one is a club footed Algerac. It looks a bit on the funnel cap stamp but there again it looks different. I wish I were a misogamist. There is so much variation I doubt I’ll ever become a naturalist.

Have a great weekend.

BACK TO NORMAL (24/11/11)

2011-11-24T14:03:00.001Z

We are only here for one night. The site is full over the weekend. It looks as if it could be a little thronged at the weekend so I’ll pop back midweek. This is the stamping ground of ANDREW AT RAMBLES WITH A CAMERA. He inspired the visit and I'm glad he did. I’ve only had a quick lap of Blakemere Moss. It was created in 1997 a wonderful place. I’ll try for some dawn images tomorrow. It has a primeval atmosphere almost Jurassic. Wonderful!

Blakemere Moss.

I can imagine this place with red or golden light and long shadows. It would work well with a full moon. A very photogenic location.

There are several of these ditches……….it’s difficult to ascertain whether they are letting water in or letting water out. Enough going on to provide interest all year round.

I am without a long lens at the moment so these little black specks are a large flock of black and white birds. They are not Penguins, nor Magpies………..They are Lapwing, I’m not daft or not completely daft!

This is where my ignorance shows it’s true magnitude. I’m going for Buttercap with this one.

I have no idea but they are doing very well.

This could be one of the Flame caps.

These little beauties are almost luminous. Beautiful a light fluorescent green.

That’s all for today, tomorrow we are moving to Wales, only just into Wales but Wales it is for us.

AM I OR AREN’T I? (23/11/11)

2011-11-23T12:19:00.001Z

I suffered a bit of a set back ten years ago. I had a contretemps with a helicopter. I’m trying to draw my pension early. Dithery David has other ideas. Surely there is a job I can do. Yes there is. I could become a useless drain on the state like him. Smuggy pants.

These are the two gentlemen running Little Britain. Who voted for them……..no one, they just assumed power. This picture is from yesterdays Daily Telegraph so I assume it is the best they could find. For two people who have endless money…. and safety boots I would have preferred to see a bit of dignity. What is Ditheries hand doing in his pocket? One shouldn’t play with the crown jewels on a photo shoot, no matter how attractive the photographers are. You should also set an example to we mere mortals and wear an ‘ard hat. I know it makes you look silly but you have done that without the ‘at!

A feast was yesterdays paper.

So is mine…………I have to do it on my own. He has the help of over paid experts.

Michael Deacon says it better than I ever could. He’s a proper scribe. Dithery possibly found his bazooka again in the first photo! Maybe he was still looking for it! I suspect that he is mixing metaphors………Silver spoon? Or does he still watch the Lone Ranger for inspiration? I suspect the confederation had sussed he was back unless they were in Berlin. Silly boy. I thought he wrote this crap himself……No, he employs, or we do, equally daft folk to do it for him. Happen it’s getting letters in the right order confuses him!

Yesterday I went for my medical……………..I’m not well. I put a pebble in my left shoe to make me limp. Shouldn’t have bothered. The harridan that conducted it could have been Quasimodo's mother I was limp enough.

This morning I had a visit from a lovely lady from Little England Pensions. She checked my bank accounts, my passport, my driving licenses ( I do have two, an Irish one and a Little England one). Called belt and braces, if I should be unlucky enough to lose one then I can drive on the other. She seemed very pleased. she could verify with my help that I’m poor……….thank the lord for online banking. David……….I said Banking. Not what you were donging…………doing I mean.

This took some believing……….They are back dating my pension to July. The final decision will rest with some wonderful person in Dundee…….Dundee is in Scotland …Home of Jute and Marmalade………a foreign country!….I’m really worried.

I’ve heard of out sourcing but David: most competent companies out source to India. Not bloody Scotland. Our sworn enemies.

I’ll let you know how I get on and normal service should be resumed tomorrow.

Have fun.

SLUGGING IT OUT (21/11/11)

2011-11-21T14:16:00.001Z

We are all still here. I am going to Derbyshire tomorrow for a couple of days to do boring things. Then I rather fancy a few days in the Delamere Forest.

A couple of you will be pleased to hear that I've not had a Marlboro since tea time yesterday………….I’m now on Benson and Hedges, aren’t I good?

It rained most of the night but so far today has been okay. A couple of showers on our wander but nothing serious. I had a good time and so did the dogs. We have been swamping not seasiding.

This post is short of a theme……….nothing new here then!

I found a couple of fungi I can’t identify.

This is only small so maybe next year it will resolve the problem. It’s very attractive, I was pleased to see it.

When I found these I thought they were baby Candle Snuff Fungus. I’m pretty sure they are something else.

Onto the swamp…………Arty Farty Swamp.

Swamp One.

Swamp Two.

Swamp Three.

Now I have three pictures of slugs. I noticed that every other Silver Birch for about twenty yards in every direction had a slug or more on it. Perhaps not unusual but they were all heading down the trunk. Strange are the ways of the slug.

There must be a reason, I counted a couple of dozen all sliding along under gravity. Perhaps they are just tired.

On the way back we enjoyed a sunny spell by the Roman Baths.

I’ll leave you on this positive note. Have fun.

SNIFF, SNIFF. COUGH, COUGH (20/11/11)

2011-11-20T15:44:00.001Z

I woke this morning and felt fine or as good as I ever do first thing. Took the dogs out, we returned to the van, I made porridge, sprinkled it with Maple syrup and dried fruit. Then I rounded breakfast off with an espresso and a Marlboro….I started to feel very lethargic and things have not improved……I can only assume the Maple Syrup was off or it doesn’t agree with me. I made a hot toddy, stirred in some paracetamol, added another dash of Bell’s for luck and just in case the water had been too hot and evaporated the alcohol, lit another cigarette…………..Felt worse so retired back to bed. Bloody Canadian sweeteners. Poison that Maple Syrup is!

The consequence of my incapacity is that I have no pictures from today so have reworked a couple……. This is the couple…………Star trails over Keswick. Please accept it for what it is……..A Mish Mash. It will enlarge but I advise you not to bother.

Blame Graham at A HEBRIDEAN IN NEW ZEALAND. He was the inadvertent inspiration for this lunacy.

There is much more information to be had here:

http://www.rubbingpixels.com/twlight-hour-%E2%80%93-photographing-star-trails-and-static-stars/

This set me off on trails……………He does have all the gear. You don’t need all of it or very much of it other than Photoshop Elements, a tripod and a camera. Any old version of Elements will do but for the price of this gem from Adobe it hardly seems sensible not to keep it within a year or two of the latest offering. Buy a cheapo printer and last years is usually included…….Register it if you shoot in Raw otherwise you will have trouble converting your files………….I could ramble on for hours. Could…I do!………Any problems drop me an e-mail. If enough of you are interested I can do a seeing to. They take ages………no worries, I have ages or hope I do.

Adobe are wonderful but have just kept improving the software over a decade and banging new features all over………it has no logic but they are stuck. Were they to remap the interfaces now, no one that can use it could use it. It is a bit like a cryptic crossword or an advent calendar without dates , all the information is there. The fun is finding it.

I’m going down to Derbyshire tomorrow or I think I am……….If I go missing for a few days then I’ve succumbed to Man Flu or am still thinking I am going and waiting for the phone call to confirm the fact.

Have a great week.

NO TRAINS (19/11/11)

2011-11-19T17:37:00.001Z

It’s been another wonderful day. I took the dogs out before dawn, I have a head torch, they would just lose theirs so they have to work on smell. They work too well on scent. Alfie found a Pheasant, daft bird is supposed to be sitting in a tree in the dark but found himself trapped against sheep netting by a wee white dog. The racket it was making encouraged Molly to join in the fun. Alf was tapping it with his paw to try and get it to fly. I shouted leave it you bad dogs……… or words to that effect. Poor bird was well stuck in the netting. Thought about giving the RSPB a ring but it was only just at the back of six thirty so extricated it myself. Whilst checking it over it crapped on my clean trousers, It’s a waste of time doing laundry round here. No harm appeared to have befallen it so I chucked it up into the air and away it went.

We came back to the van breakfasted and were out again. I was going train spotting. There is a narrow gauge steam railway here. No trains!….. Bother!…. I’ll be away to the end of my Grans alley! I thought they ran weekends throughout the year, not this weekend. I’ll be back at Christmas when I see they are putting on a double header. Given clement weather that will be a unique sight. Two miniature steamers puffing away. I must make a note of the date on a bit of paper and do my best not to lose it. I could pop it on Google Calendar…….It’s very good they send an e-mail to tell me to have a look. Like having a PA but without the physical presence or attraction.

Now you think I have no pictures……….it’s about three forty five in the afternoon the sky has cleared and I may have a good sunset. I thought it was too cloudy………….wait and see whilst I totter down to the estuary. The cloud is thinning and it’s only a ten minute walk or a twenty minute wander.

In the mean time I have taken some flowers……….I’ll do my best to guess but as is customary any help is more than welcome.

I haven’t a clue…..it’s growing on the side of the railway…………………..

As is this perfect rose. It can only have flowered today or late yesterday as the rain would have destroyed it.

This is Herb Robert or something very similar. This is middling small and grows close to the ground in sludge. A damn good job I didn’t get changed.

Again I don’t know, quite a posh wee plant. I never used to take much notice of plants but they are quite fascinating. I missed the focus on this. It’s windy and I’m rubbish. It looks like a Nettle of the non stinging persuasion.

I’ve trawled my inexpensive Collins field guide and the closest match is Prickly Lettuce. Again blowing about in the wind…………..That’s it for flowers we hit the shore for a bit of birding.

As usual a waste of time with this pair of hooligans ripping the air asunder with their snapping, yapping, yipping and snarling. The odd thing is the Oystercatchers seem to accept it.

I’m back from sunsetting…………

……………as I suspected it was not a belter. Too much high cloud and the further away you are the thicker it appears to be. I see I’ve got Molly in the picture. I seem to spend half my life cloning dogs out of images.

It was time to head back, one whistle and they positively leapt to obey…………….

I wish!……….I thought that’s good but they shot straight past to play with a Standard Poodle.

I’ll see what tomorrow brings our way.

BATH TIME (18/11/11)

2011-11-18T16:02:00.001Z

Today is Friday so I thought I’d go for a bath. It has poured, precipitated and p………….rained down all night, half the morning as well. I put the last load of laundry through the washer and drier so we are all sparkling bright. More than can be said for today. The rain has stopped, bar the odd shower, but it is barely light.

I decided upon a round about route to the Roman baths……….

The bridge over the river Irt. It carries a footpath and the Barrow in Furness to Carlisle railway. Great fun was had here, you can see a wee brown dog under the bridge pier on the right and a lady trying to entice him back onto the foot bridge……….a waste of time. The dogs had been chatting to him ten minutes before and he wanted to walk with us so we had to retrace our steps, if wading through this sludge can be called stepping. Henry was reunited with his mum and on we went.

Molly washing off in a pool in the mussel beds……….You can just see a bit of Alf in the foreground, he doesn’t mind being filthy, he’s looking for Mussels. He has now learnt to open them without crushing the shell. Amazing how bright he can be when it suits.

It really is this dark but the rain is holding off, it’s warm, so for the time of year, it’s a grand day.

Bath time……………………

All images will enlarge with a click. The writing is legible, I’ve checked. The following are all HDR with as little haloing as I could manage.

The changing room. I’m sure it had more privacy when it was new. It was built over one thousand eight hundred years ago so maybe, maybe not.

The romans were very good with pozzolana and lime but here they didn’t have the former so would, I assume, just use quick lime and sand……..it gets terribly hot when mixed with water and must have been awful to use. I expect the builders thought it preferable to fighting lions and tigers with sore bare hands so just got on with the job.

A close up of a niche where they put things. I hope the technicalities aren’t confusing you.

English Heritage refer to this as a door. Fine! I can live with that.

I think I’m standing in what was the cold bath…….the hot one is to the right.

The changing room again and a bit of another room on the left.

A piece of wall. I was going to stitch a panorama to replace yesterdays but the Mail Van came past and Alfie chased it. Bad dog! By the time I'd restored order he was half a mile away and it had started raining again. Such is life!

There doesn’t seem to be a ladies and gentlemens side to the changing room……….Do things never change in Italy or is Silvio Berlusconi a closet Roman?…. Would Bath house Roman be better? Or were Roman bath houses bunga bunga venues?

PS. I’m feeling better, I’ve lost my voice now, which does not help with canine control. One step forward and two back!

Have a good weekend.

THREE ON THURSDAY (17/11/11)

2011-11-17T16:08:00.001Z

It’s not been a bad day, the odd spot of rain and windy. We have managed a couple of wanders. I can’t get close enough to the Oystercatchers for pictures but I spent a half an hour watching them mussel catching. I heard what sounded like a hundred Greylag Geese flying along so there were probably ten, hellish noisy birds they are. The odd thing is I couldn’t see them.

Just three pictures today.

The remains of the Roman Baths. The fort used to be just to the left and back a bit. There is no sign of it now apart from a couple of defensive ditches.

I hope this is Red Campion, lots of it everywhere and all flowering happily.

These are dead and about quarter of an inch in diameter. I have no idea what they are but liked the way the light shines through them.

I am not going to tempt fate by looking at tomorrows forecast. Whatever the weather, we’ll be out coughing and sneezing.

WHAT NO FOG! (16/11/11)

2011-11-16T17:59:00.001Z

Yet another sunny day at the seaside has been enjoyed by all in the camper. The dogs are soaking wet but happy and tired.

Low water just before lunch time today……this is the river Irt.

The promenade at Ravenglass and Alf. He has always liked pebbles. Here he is in his element as there are extensive mussel beds. He picks a mussel up and carries it about sucking it before chomping it up. His version of Black Magic.

A perfect morning. There are Oystercatchers around in good numbers but that’s about all. It is a bit thin on the bird front. I have plenty on the feeders, even a Wren visiting, it is more interested in trashing my wiper blades, Lord knows why!

The view out into the Irish Sea this afternoon. A beautiful sky which I’ll have another go at. Unusually, for me, this understates the reality. the river flowing from the left is the river Esk and from the right the river Irt.

Me being Arty farty. I should have done a bit of judicious, arty farty gardening before taking this. I think just the one dead Hogweed or whatever it is would have done. I have cloned some away but it would be quicker to tale a sickle to all but the tall one.

Dogs at dusk…………….wet dogs at dusk.

We called at the pub on the way home but I think I’m about to die from a serious dose of Man Flu. I just had an orange juice so I must be really poorly.

I wasn’t going to mention the unmentionable Dithery Dave today but I feel that credit should be given where it’s deserved. Not content with upsetting the majority of this country, the French and the Germans. He has achieved the impossible. He’s managed to disquiet the Aussies. They are impossible to upset so to disquiet them is a fine accomplishment. He was attempting to imitate the rather pronounced Antipodean enunciation of their esteemed Prime Ministeress Miss Gillard…….. You should be throwing your cloak down in puddles Dave not calling her a Sheila……She’s a Sheila with loads of shillings. The man is an idiot. A quick grope and they would be bosom pals for life and we would be out of the midden.

Have fun, it looks as if it may rain tomorrow.