Friday 20 June 2014

Walking Weather

Hello Lovelies,
the last few days have been very cloudy in the mornings.....it's not the best for photography, but it's perfect for a long walk.......and being me, I still take loads of photos anyway :0)

On Wednesday morning I headed out to do a couple of hours and hopefully discover some new footpaths to add to my favourites.

 I walked along local streets and squeezed down a narrow passageway thick with summer vegetation. Then paused at the end, to drink in the view of the green summer landscape spread out in front of me............


The furry Barley fields are just starting to show a hint of gold.............



But the Wheat is still quiet green...........


I'm trying to use this walk as a health walk so the pace is quick, except when I stop to take photos.
And I'm wearing my sturdy walking shoes and my trusty rucksack , with it's crochet Roses still attached.......

got to have a bit of prettiness.

Ah, a stile........I like to think climbing over lots of these is good exercise too............

This one has a special "dog door" , did you spot it? you lift up the black handle to let your doggy through.

Now I have a short road stretch, past characterful old houses.............


and a phone box which is now a mini Library..............

The notice says "Bring a book, Borrow a book"

Then I leave the road and head along a bridleway which looks to me like it may have been an old drovers route many years ago..........

I pass a couple of dog walkers here , but it's very quiet. There's just the distant hum of traffic and lots of birdsong that, not for the first time, I wish I was better at identifying.

The plants are easier to name...there are those I've always known....like  Clover........


And those you can research back at home..............


Each Gateway has a smattering of Poppies..............


Further along the vegetation has almost covered the old road.............


But a single track of stones is still visible...............


I wonder about how long they have been there and how many feet have walked across them.

Further still, I manage to zoom in on some more pretty poppies...........


Then get up close................

A perfect sign of summer.

This bridleway heads towards that barn in the distance , it's not as picturesque as the previous part of my walk, but I'm still happy to be discovering somewhere new...............


 I stride along...... happy that's the sun isn't beating down....but I'm still hot and regret that I didn't bring a drink.......


It's very satisfying to glance back and see how far you've come............


Up close to the huge new barns I'm amused to find a tiny "barn" in their shadow.............

love the folding bike leaning against it's doors too.

The real barns are not so pretty.......very industrial looking...........


but they are sheltering  a butterfly I've never seen before.............


By this time I had been walking for about one and a half hours. I realised I wouldn't get home in time to meet mum for our usual outing , so I phoned her and arranged to get picked up a in 45 minutes.......just time to whiz through this pretty village...........



where this colourful garden caught my eye...............


Then I headed down another track, this one was cool and dark , the trees laden with unripe Damsons?


I got a bit lost at this point and was glad to sit on this bench a minute while I studied my map..........


It had a touching plaque..........


I realised I needed to retrace my steps a bit and then I found the right path. It led to the allotments........


Yay I do like a nosey around these interesting places. These well protected strawberries looked yummy but I wondered what the strings were for...........

Maybe a deterrent for birds or rabbits?

Or chickens :0)


This final field I needed to walk through contained the first Livestock I had encountered..........


I do love sheep and these had such sweet faces..........the one on the right looks like it's smiling and the one on the left looks surprised .......I expect it was baaing at me...........


Then up ahead I saw a lone sheep laying right in the path...........


I expected it would jump up and run back to the rest of the flock when I got close........but instead this gentle old ewe walked towards me...........


and came to say hello...............


before she ambled slowly back to her family.............


 I left the field and started walking along the road where mum stopped to pick me up.......my walk was five and a half miles long and had taken me just over two hours to do.

I'm really enjoying getting out, exploring my local area in this way......and it's great to be able to record my little outings here. I do hope you enjoy seeing them too.
Jacquie x


27 comments:

  1. I am slowly exploring the multitude of footpaths in this area, my walk time is restricted to an hour now but I intend to increase this over the next few weeks. I always carry water and a bowl as Ben comes with me, there are lots of streams but usually have very steep sides and they run very fast so I keep him out.

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  2. That was lovely and makes me want to go out for a long walk with my dogs like we used to, unfortunately they are too old now. Will have to start going on my own occasionally maybe.
    Gillx

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  3. C'mon, tell us WHERE were you walking? Looks like my neck of the woods. Tut tut, no drink in your rucksack :o( I'm going for a walk tomorrow, meeting up with some guys who are doing a long distance path. I will walk the last bit with them because it isn't far from where I live.

    Nice pics and nice blog.

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  4. As I have said before, I do like going on your walks with you - even if it is just virtually!! It is great to get out and about and see what is happening in your local area and to explore new places too isn't it. xx

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  5. What a lovely walk Jacquie. I'm sure it's one you'll do again. Thanks for sharing - it's a shame virtual walking doesn't count as exercise! Have a great weekend. x

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  6. That looks like a great place to take a walk! And what a lovely cuddly ewe! : )

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  7. Thanks a lot for your pictures ! that's a good way for me to discover England I haven't visited yet ! I like them very much ! Have a nice day !

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  8. Lovely walk and views of the countryside.......really pretty........good exercise too !! X

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  9. Lovely pictures and a great way of recording your walk. It looks lovely and you inspire me to try some new routes too. I always tend to walk Max the same couple of routes but I really think I need to broaden my horizons a bit. Thanks for the inspiration
    Jackie x

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  10. I love that you share your walks with us....saves driving and we get to see a bit more of your neighbourhood!
    d x

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  11. I've really enjoyed following your walk. I expect the strings around the strawberries are a deterrent from hungry ramblers...... As for the dog gate, our old labrador was far too impatient for anything like that, she used to scramble up and over the stiles, even with her arthritis, bless. Thanks for sharing and next time take a drink with you, x

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  12. It's heavenly to get out and about this time of year isn't it. I love your purple cap btw - my running cap used to be that colour many years ago; now it's just a washed out nondescript colour but I can't bear to part with it ;-)

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  13. Enjoyed the walk with you. Thank you for the wonderful pictures.

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  14. I love the transformed post box! I have seen "libaries" like that here in Germany as well but unfortunatly the books are usually really old. Do you get newer books in these little boxes?

    Take care
    Anne
    http://crochetbetweentwoworlds.blogspot.de

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    1. I agree about the phone box. Only a week ago my teenager and I were talking about the public book sharing thing where a person will leave a book at a bus stop or similar public place for someone to find, with a plate either on the cover or inside cover inviting the finder to take it home to read and when finished, leave it for someone else or leave it with a second book as well.. This is a popular concept.

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  15. Many of the houses and places you photograph remind me of the kinds of places we sometimes see on an English tv program called 'Escape to the country" although you seem to have found your perfect escape already :-)

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  16. I really have missed these walks with you!!! So I thoroughly enjoyed this one!!!! Thank you for showing me around again!!!! Have a fab weekend!!!!
    Love
    AMarie xxx

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  17. What a beautiful,beautiful post. I have never commented before but this made my heart sing! Thankyou.

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  18. I did enjoy your outing. So much lovelier than my usual hike, it's very wooded and lovely in it's own way, but I do have to keep an eye out for bears and coyotes, but love spotting the foxes and bunnies along the way. The more I see of your part of the world the more I'd love to visit. I think the phone box now lending library is genius! The tiny barn was cute! I love barns, we have a lot of old huge wood barns in our area. Many even have painted quilts on the sides.HAve a great weekend!

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  19. That was a lengthy walk and lots of great pictures! The sheep was unusually friendly - they usually run off I find! Roughly where were you walking?
    www.thequietstitcher.com

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  20. What a lovely walk. I'm beginning to think the sun always shines on you! I love the doggie gate, what a good idea, and the phone box library as well, I'd like to see one of those round here. CJ xx

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  21. Such a beautiful walk! You are very blessed to have countryside like this to enjoy!! Thanks for sharing it with all of us! Love the friendly ewe! how sweet!!!

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  22. Talking of drovers paths...have you read The Water Horse by Julia Gregson? The story starts with a drovers journey from Wales to England and the main character [ a girl] follows the drovers [ involves a fella, of course] on their journey. Quite an adventure set during the Crimean war era. Enjoyed it. There are old paths all over England.

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  23. Your walk was amazing. I love being taken through the countryside and in your country I see so many things we just don't have down here. Thank you for sharing.
    Anne xx

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  24. I like the dog door and the idea of the phone cab turned as a library.
    What a beautiful landscape.
    Miss
    Mywoolvalley.blogspot.ca

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  25. I love your walks Jacquie :-) I wonder if that friendly ewe had been hand reared...?
    Tracey xxx

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