Dent 1

We had a mini-break at Dent Station, the highest main line station in England, on the Settle-Carlisle line. It has been really well renovated and is owned by a trust. We arrived on Wednesday evening, when I took this shot. We were in the station building lit up on the right.

 

It is a sign

Coming off the moors the sun was doing its best to burn the cloud away. I always love a signpost on the moors; incongruous and mysterious.

Up Again

Up onto to the North York Moors at Urra again today. Felt great to be there. Even a bit of sun breaking through the clouds.

Cooking News

Rowan got me an air-fryer for Christmas. This was very kind of her, and a perfect gift for me. I really dislike frying stuff, and amazingly the air-fryer does the job without oil. So far we have had pakora, spinach balls, and fish and chips.

Meantime Rowan went with a friend to a Migrateful class in person (as opposed to on Zoom) for the first time, and rustled up this Moroccan delight.

Training

Rowan has gone back to London; it was great having her here over Christmas. She works upstairs when she is here, and also does a workout up there. Layla usually assumes that she can join in the workout and lie on the yoga mat for the duration.

In the background is the rampant chilli plant that is still going strong.

Sleep

 A Pile of Palmours Asleep. The rigours of Christmas finally take their toll.

More Wharfe

The river was high, the trees were bare.

And there was, no one there.

Went to the Audiology Department at the hospital yesterday for a hearing test and new hearing aids. They now have bluetooth which means I can stream my music, podcasts and phone calls straight to my hearing aids. This is really good, and it seems to work well.

Got me to thinking how much hearing aids have improved since I first started using them 25 years ago. There is no comparison, todays hearing aids are smaller, lighter, miles more effective, connected, more comfortable (without the need for ear moulds.) I really appreciate the improvements.

Bright Walk

A beautiful crisp bright day for a walk. Rowan is studying hard so Danielle and I walked by the Wharfe south from Tadcaster.

 

Pond Light

The light on the old railway pond is constantly changing and hard to resist. This was taken last week. 
 

New Year Walk

This year's Boxing Day walk was on New Years Day. Arranged the day before the turnout was gratifying. A warm dry day, Eddy even wore shorts.

The Cone of Shame

Layla hurt her foot, and so we had to stop here from licking it all the time. The Cone of Shame proved too much for her to bear (as seen in her expression here) so we settled on putting a sock over her foot which seems to work, without causing her any angst at all.

Happy New Year

 

Happy New Year everyone

Family visit

We went down to see my Auntie Alison and the family near Bicester. Good to see everyone and catch up. This photo is of two new family members, Catherine who is nephew Adam's wife, and William their son.

When we got home we were saddened to hear that Danielle's Uncle Bob had died. The circle of life keeps turning.

Xmas 4

A Boxing Day walk down by the river Wharfe at Tadcaster. Cold, damp, murky and surprisingly pleasant. Wellies necessary though.

Xmas 3

And here is Rowan. Great to have her with us for Christmas.

Xmas day 2

We were happily ensconced on the sofa drinking our fizz, while Rowan did the traditional handing round of the presents. The dog decided she needed to make a statement move, so walked delicately along the back of the sofa before resting her head on my head.

Xmas Day

Christmas Day has its own rhythm in the Palmour household these days. Cup of tea then smoked salmon on sourdough with bucks fizz for breakfast. Main course of Christmas dinner for lunch (a vege wellington this year, made by Danielle) then pudding at tea time. All works well. Rowan is here with us, and she took this photo as part one was about to happen.

09.07 on the clock, bottle opened. No excuse really.

Happy Xmas

Selby Canal 2

Another shot of the Selby canal on a very still and bucolic day.

 

Selby Canal Tunnels

The band got back for a jam yesterday. Great to be playing as always, had a really good session; who knows when the next one will be.

 This photo is from the Selby Canal which I walked this week. The two semi circular ponds on either side of the canal are part of an innovative 18th Century piece of engineering that helped prevent flooding of the canal be means of tunnels underneath. The five sets of tunnels have just been listed by English Heritage, which is how I came across them for the first time. A beautifully functional bit of architecture.

Guest

Friend Lorraine came up to stay last month, just found this photo of her and Danielle on what is the furniture formerly know as the sofa (now one of the dog's personal seating areas).

Rowan Returns

Rowan is back for Xmas, still working but from York for a few days. Everyone is pleased to see her including Layla.

The Ouse

The river Ouse, taken from the old East Coast Mainline railway bridge at Naburn, was looking suitably autumnal and beautiful last week. I went for a short ride to stretch my legs.

Layla and siblings at 2 years old.

Layla was two this week. She is one of a litter of five. Through the wonders of WhatsApp and the Yorkshire Rose Rescue Centre we get to see how the other four are doing each year. The answer seems to be "pretty good". Probably the only litter of Egyptian street dogs to ever be born in Spennithorne in the Yorkshire Dales

Layla

Marty

Peach

Bella

Billy

 

Old Street skyline

Rowan took this in Old Street last week. It shows that: 

1 she has a good eye for a shot and 

2 the google phone has a pretty good camera on it.

Bramham 3

Final shot from the Bramham walk. Taken of the lake before the sun worked its way through the cloud.

More Bramham

When the sun popped out on Sunday it really brought the landscape alive for a while.

The Magnificent Two

From the walk yesterday, Danielle and Layla taking stock.

Family

Ro and Pete came for the weekend, great to catch up on all the family news and to see them again. We went a good walk in Bramham woods on Sunday, mild and sometimes sunny with red kites for company.

Guarding

Another shot from Hatfield Moors this week. If you look carefully you'll see the guardian of the moors sitting proud.

Failing Forward

Sometimes a fail can prove to be a win. I whipped out my phone trying to catch a photo of a Little Egret flying across Hob Moor this week. So keen was I to get a shot of a new visitor to the moor that I ended up taking this shot of the moor itself, blurred beyond acceptable levels. Except I really like it. Not to exhibit but just to look at now and then.

When I'm 64

Birthday consisted of walking the dog, saying goodbye to the loom, then going to see Chantal McGregor at the Crescent. She is a really good young guitar player from Leeds who plays like a dream. We both enjoyed it a lot. This is a good track of hers, need to listen to it all.

The Empty Table

For Layla any bench we see on the moors is where we should stop for lunch, whatever the time of day. So when she was up ahead of me and spotted this bench she sat patiently waiting for me to arrive and feed her. It was 11.22. The wait was in vain.

More Hatfield

 I have been out of action with a cold for close on two weeks, so it was great to get back to taking the dog for a good long walk on Hatfield Moors. 2 degrees C, a bit of rain, no one around, and a great walk.

Layla had a great time chasing deer, and I saw a male Hen Harrier for the first time since in Cantabria in Spain in 1984. Saw a Peregrine and Marsh Harrier as well, so it was a rewarding day all round.

GroomTime

Danielle took Layla to get groomed last week. This is  not popular. If an expression could tell a thousand words, then this is such an expression.

New House

I do like to have a nose around when I am walking the dog. I had no idea this new house was at the end of a little cul de sac until I had a look. A lot of similarities with our extension. I'll try and talk to the owners when I get a chance.

Bread

The Danielle sour dough bread experience continues. Getting more and more professional looking.

Loom

After living with us for 17 years Danielle's loom is about to depart and be used by school children. Farewell to a beautiful thing.

 

Saturday 3

Then back on the train via the bar on Knaresbrough station. Great day.

Saturday 2

 

Next was a walk to Harrogate along the Sustrans cycle path, a couple of pints with two friends of Eddy's who joined us for the Harrogate Town v Salford City League Two match. A good game with the visitors winning 2 nil.

Saturday 1

Had a Saturday out with Eddy and Patrick. First stop took the train to Knaresbrough where we checked out the Arts Mill that has four of my works on show - one with a healthy red blob on it.

Office Stance

To ensure that she does not spend the whole working day sat at a screen Danielle now has a riser on the desk that means she can stand sometimes. All helps.

London Three

One final shot from the afternoon of gloom on the Thames.

London 2

Next day I walked from Mark and Mandy's on a good cycle path right up to the Thames at Wandsworth. This shot is another from the day before, with the flats that Rowan stayed in for her internship with BlackRock centre shot.

Comedy

I had a lovely day with Rowan in London last week, before meeting up with old friend Mark and Mandy to go and watch the recording of Rob's latest Radio 4 comedy show (the Nether Regions). Great to catch up with everyone. 

There was fantastic light in the afternoon, making the City look all Bladerunner.

Film Festival

We always love the annual Aesthetica Short Film Festival in York. This year was more special. Dubheasa, a friend of Rowan, had a film showing as part of the event. She came up to stay, and we all saw it on the Sunday.

It is a really effective film, she should be proud.

Blue Corridor 15 from Dubheasa Lanipekun on Vimeo.

Bramham 2

Not exaclty Maine, but the autumn colours will do for me. The building is a folly in the Bramham grounds.

Bramham 3

I cannot walk past a milestone without taking a photo. I just love them.

Bramham

I tried out a new route through the grounds of Bramham Hall (where Leeds Festival is held each year). A real surprise with plenty to stir imagination, including this abandoned house.

Blakey Topping

This is Blakey Topping, a bracken covered hill that has all sorts of prehistoric connections; there is a stone circle at its foot. On the skyline to the left you can see a modern equivalent, Fylingdales early warning radar station.