Wolds 2

Another shot from our wolds walk, looking west down from the escarpment to the vale of York.

I went a walk with the dog in the week at Escrick. It is a pretty non-descript route, but very pleasant; I saw a red kite, a little egret and a kingfisher in less than an hour, all of which were a surprise. 

Wolds

Rowan, Layla and I were back in the Wolds at the weekend. Lovely day. This is Hagworm Wood; a great name.

Digging

I have been digging out some old posts in the back garden ahead of the geodesic dome being assembled. It is good to have an attentive assistant.

Roadside

On a bike ride last week I saw this old stone by the roadside for the first time. Seems to date from the 18th Century. Hard to find out anything more about it. I'll keep trying.

Dali

I have been sorting out some books. I found this. My last year at school I won the Geography prize. I could choose a book of my choice for the prize (assumed to be about geography). I chose a book on Dali by Dali. Surreal.

Notting Hill

 Rowan was back in London for a few days. She took this shot at Notting Hill Gate tube station. Pretty damn good.

Ouse 3

Here is the team on the walk last week. 

I did a Quaker desert island discs zoom thing yesterday evening. We each chose one track, one book and a luxury. It went well. I do hate zoom though, looking forward to being with a group of real people in a room all talking at once.

Ouse 2

Taken on the same walk as yesterday's shot. The combination of stillness, bright light and cloud makes for some great reflections. This is a bridge over the Ouse that was built to replace the ferry in 1929.
 

Ouse

Friday Danielle and I took the dog a walk down the Ouse to the Humber. Strange walking next to a tidal river, in the morning it was flowing apace uphill with tree trunks floating in it, then in the afternoon it was racing to the sea. This shot was when all was calm and still.

Back in the swing

Last Monday I walked back with Danielle from one of her rare visits to her office in town. It was the first day post-lockdown and we passed the York Tap at the station. "Do you want a pint?" "Yes".

Home Life

Rowan works upstairs when she is with us (since Xmas, this lockdown) and Layla goes up to hang out with her each morning. 

Fire!

We had friends for tea in the garden last week. It snowed. So I lit up the fire-basket. As you can see Layla was treating it as a learning module. We had her clipped last week and she definitely prefers it as the weather hits the heady heights of 9 degrees.

Pass

Rowan passed her CFA exams for work. The pass rate is only 40% so she did well; we had a bottle of vinho verde with dinner to celebrate.

 There is still evidence of last summer's fire on Hatfield Moors.

The moors

Hatfield Moors were looking good last week. This is where the peat was excavated from the moors until the industry was shut down early this century. It is slowly reverting back to type.

Hatfield

I got back to Hatfield Moors for the first time since the autumn. There was a big moorland fire there last summer, and the result has been to drive fire breaks through some swathes of scrubland. It had to be done, but was a bit of a shock.

Just to give a context of why I like it so much. I walked with Layla for over 5 hours, a really great walk full of everything. In that time I passed one other human; had a good chat with him about the moors, then carried on. That such an amazing place should be so unknown is incredible to me - wouldn't want to change it though.

Cactus

Sitting in the lounge yesterday when the sun broke through the clouds and lit up the cactus plant.
 

Deep Dale

Rowan took this shot of Layla trotting and me trudging up the steep side of  Deep Dale in the Wolds. A great day again.

Wolds 2

 Went back to the Wolds with Rowan on Easter Monday. Danielle was busy studying. Beautiful cold windy sunny day. Great to be back in the dry valleys (I'd forgotten what walking up a steep hill was like). 

Easter Day

After the family walk yesterday we managed today to have an Easter Sunday meal for the first time I can remember. Danielle and Rowan prepared it and it was great. Helped, for me, by watching the Tour of Flanders with a pint of Ainsty Ale. A good day. Here is the meal before we descended upon it.

Family walk

This was the first time we had all been a walk together outside of York since Christmas. Lovely day up on Garrowby hill in the Wolds.

Whoopers

Whooper swans on Thorne Moors yesterday. They have wintered here in Yorkshire and are about to leave for summer in Iceland. A lovely noisy sight.