22 May 2019

Eventide

I baked fish pies - served with french beans and buttered carrot batons. We had dinner early and then I set off in the car (aka "Clint") - heading off for an evening walk in gorgeous May sunshine.

At the road junction, fifty yards from our house there had been a road accident. A Volkswagen car was on its roof and people were standing around looking puzzled. The police and ambulance hadn't even appeared yet. 

The situation caused unexpected delay and I was late arriving at my starting point on the Baslow road  well south of Sheffield by Big Moor.  The sun was now lower in the sky than I had anticipated.

I descended to the valley of Millthorpe Brook along an old cart track known as Car Road. In an adjacent bluebell glade I disturbed a deer. It bounded off before I could reveal my camera and switch it on. I have missed some of the best pictures that way.
Part of the herd
At Bank Green, I needed to cut across some green meadows along a little used public footpath. There was a small herd of dark brown cows there. I think the breed may have been Red Poll. They looked at me with great suspicion as if perhaps I might have been sent  by the local abattoir. I noticed a group of adolescent calves amongst them and a certain tension in the herd. They were starting to panic. Then a muscular young bull arrived through a gap in the hedgerow and it was as if he was snorting, "What the hell is going on?"

No reply was necessary even though I can talk bull quite fluently. I decided it was wiser to backtrack then find a different way to descend to Millthorpe Brook. I noticed sunlight illuminating trees above the valley while below bluebells were already bathed in shadow waiting for night to fall (see the top picture).

Round in a circle and then the long slog back up Car Road until I was once again in evening sunlight looking out over the wide expanse of Big Moor. 

It was half past eight and time to hurry home ready for the pub quiz at "The Hammer and Pincers" with the two Michaels. By the way, we won one of the main prizes. Our brains still retain some useful information such as the fact that "Goldfinger" is not only the title of a James Bond film, but the name of a banana too.
Car Road heading to Bank Green

22 comments:

  1. It all looks rather lovely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sheffielders are lucky to live close to such gorgeous countryside.

      Delete
  2. What beautiful light conditions at that time of day. Apart from the bull, it sounds a relaxing walk.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The light last evening was heavenly. I am not sure that I have done it justice.

      Delete
  3. You can talk bull? Ha! I'll bet you can! :)

    Beautiful scenery. But what I really want to know is....what I'd a fish pie?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is, not I'd. I hate typing on my phone.

      Delete
    2. Fish pie involves pieces of fish and prawns in a creamy sauce with mashed potato on top then baked in the oven. I am afraid it isn't vegan!

      Delete
  4. It seems to me that bulls from Yorkshire to Florida can give you the same level stare. Easily deciphered. Best obeyed.
    Yes, what gorgeous light.
    So, okay, you described a fish pie and that sounds delicious but what's a "fish and finger" pie?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A fish and finger pie is when the chef has accidentally chopped off some of his fingers and added them to the dish.

      Delete
  5. The bluebell photo is brilliant. Did you have to crouch down low to capture that shot?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No Sue. I was just looking up the slope.

      Delete
  6. Have you still got bluebells ? Ours here in the south are now gone! But the woods are lovely and green .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Up North the blooming of spring flowers always happens later. I saw plenty of bluebells last evening.

      Delete
  7. That first photo is stunning. The green, the blue, the vertical sweep of flowers echoed by the tree trunks. Beautiful.

    Have you read about the latest craze in some European countries - taking a selfie with a cow? The authorities are displeased and have reminded people that they could be taking their lives in their hands. Cows are not all placid creatures. I know we kept well away from the neighbours' animals when I was growing up. It's good that you subscribe to the ol' discretion being the better part of valour and all that :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every year a few people are killed by cattle in this country and I do not want to belong to that exclusive group Jenny. You get a sense of the mood of the herd when walking through their fields.

      Delete
  8. Beautiful pictures! I'm glad you didn't test your luck with the bull. Somehow I think your fluency in bull would not have helped you here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ME I say old chap - why so angry?
      BULL Grrr. I am a coming to git you Two Legs!
      ME Don't you know it's rude to snort?
      BULL CHARRRRGE!
      ME Gadzooks! (He vaults over the barbed wire fence)

      Delete
  9. Oh! I do care! And have no need for anyone to tell me that should care. Is this being recorded?

    Put it on the record, please....I do care!

    Pretty bluebells everywhere!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I can't believe a guy like you wouldn't take that bull on and tell him to get lost!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now you are talking bull Red! Red Bull!

      Delete
  11. Goldfinger is a banana? News to me!

    ReplyDelete

Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

Most Visits