24 June 2020

Walking

The beautiful River Wye near Litton Mill
Yesterday. Socially distanced walking with my son-in-law. We walked for eight and a half miles in beautiful summer weather. How green was Mother Nature's mantle and how pure the limestone filtered waters of The River Wye. 
Bull above Monk's Dale
Our eight and a half mile Derbyshire walk took in historic Cressbrook Mill and Litton Mill - now both converted to residential and holiday units. We saw trout in the river and up on the opposite bank of the steep-sided valley we walked a section of The Monsal Trail - once a railway from Bakewell to Buxton. Too many cyclists. Too many walkers. We soon returned to the river below.
Tideswell Church
Stew and a Dominic Cummings scarecrow in Tideswell
From the little village of Miller's Dale we slogged up The Limestone Way and then along farm tracks that led us all the way to Tideswell where Stew married Frances last August - a few months before COVID came a-creeping into our lives and our collective consciousness. Looking back upon those halcyon days, it's difficult to recognise what has happened in the intervening period of time.

The world seems fundamentally changed and you wonder if we will ever get back to where we were. Thankfully, we can still go out walking - immersing ourselves in the natural environment, forgetting for a while all the stuff that has been going on.
River Wye swans

33 comments:

  1. A nice walk with your son-in-law. Do you suppose that last swan is nesting, or just having a rest on the bank.
    Things will never be the same again, in our lifetime. First, we're the old folks now, and things definitely will not be the same in our lifetime. And then we will be gone, and I'm sure the youngsters will be carrying on in ways of which we may highly disapprove, or not, and they certainly won't. So no, not the same, no never, no more.

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    1. "So no, not the same, no never, no more." reminds me of a song I often used to sing - "The Wild Rover":-
      And it's no, nay, never
      No, nay, never no more
      Will I play the wild rover
      No, never no more

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    2. I'll join in the singing of that song, YP. Many's the evening.......

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    3. Mine's a pint Graham and don't be chatting up the barmaid again!

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    4. I got my already programmed and blanked ATM card to withdraw the maximum of $1,000 daily for a maximum of 20 days. I am so happy about this because i got mine last week and I have used it to get $20,000. Mike Fisher Hackers is giving out the card just to help the poor and needy though it is illegal but it is something nice and he is not like other scam pretending to have the blank ATM cards. And no one gets caught when using the card. get yours from Mike Fisher Hackers today! *email cyberhackingcompany@gmail.com


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    5. I got my already programmed and blanked ATM card to withdraw the maximum of $1,000 daily for a maximum of 20 days. I am so happy about this because i got mine last week and I have used it to get $20,000. Mike Fisher Hackers is giving out the card just to help the poor and needy though it is illegal but it is something nice and he is not like other scam pretending to have the blank ATM cards. And no one gets caught when using the card. get yours from Mike Fisher Hackers today! *email cyberhackingcompany@gmail.com


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    6. Anonymous8:06 pm

      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. I think we will get back close what it was like pre covid. We have too much baggage to carry with us. it's hard to get rid of baggage.

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    1. I hope your optimism foreshadows reality Red.

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  3. You and Stew had a wonderful walk and you got some beautiful pictures. I especially love the first picture of the River Wye. Yes, it is difficult to realize just how much our world has changed since March. Some of it will never be the same again. We will have a lot of changes to get used to as I have seen since going out some this past week.

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    1. I was especially pleased with that top picture Bonnie but a family of ducks on the water would have been a nice addition.

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  4. Good to know Stew seems to share your love of walking! It sounds like a very good walk apart from the bit where there were too many cyclists and other walkers, but on trails as easy as that (former railway) that is to be expected. There is a particularly easy path along the river Neckar here, all flat and scenic, and especially on a weekend, it is completely overrun with cyclists, walkers, inline skaters and so on - no fun at all.

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    1. It can be scary when silent cyclists approach from behind with no ringing of bells.

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  5. I like that top photo of the River Wye. A warm day for walking but sounds as if you had a good day with Stew.

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    1. There were plenty of shady sections Sue and I wore my faded old hat.

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  6. Looks like a terrific walk. I need another long walk right about now. Love the Dominic Cummings scarecrow!

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    1. When I saw that scarecrow, for a moment I thought - "How come he is wearing a Steve Reed mask?"

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    2. Oh, now that's LOW!

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  7. Glorious weather there on the Costa del Derbyshire

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    1. I slapped sun lotion on my bonce, bullish legs and bulging arm muscles.

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  8. Excellent photos, as always, YP., and sunshine makes so much difference to the scene. The first makes me feel that it's the ideal place for a spot of contemplation.
    Yes, the world has changed, but as yet we can have no idea is it's for better or worse. Perhaps a mix of both, and maybe it will depend upon the country you live in. Some will inevitably weather the crisis better than others.
    How will things be when your - as yet to be born - grandchild is your age, I wonder? What changes and upheavals will that generation have lived through? I'm sure my grandparent's generation would never have envisaged how things are today.

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    1. Wise thoughts CG. Thank you for sharing them here.

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  9. That bull does not look very friendly. What was he saying?

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  10. Your bull reminds me of an old Duncan Mckenzie joke: Two bulls are stood on top of a hill looking down at a field of cows. The young bull says: " Hey dad let's run down the hill and jump on one of the cows?" Dad bull says: "Nay lad. Let's walk down the hill and we'll jump on them all!"


    Smashing photos YP.

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    1. Maturity is a fine thing. I am so mature I smell like a slice of blue stilton cheese.

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  11. That bull shot (haha!) is terrific!
    Northsider's joke is actually the only joke I ever remember. But I tell it in a much more crude manner as you can imagine I would.

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    1. Yes I can imagine that. I doubt that you attended a Swiss finishing school.

      P.S. "bull shot"? Isn't that what your 45th president speaks?

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  12. I'm surprised that your son-in-law could embrace even a scarecrow of That Man. And that you photographed it just compounds the felony.

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    1. I am so sorry that our reputations were irretrievably sullied in that moment of madness.

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  13. Maybe in a year or two, Stew can join you on another walk with your little grandson strapped on his back. :)

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    1. Granddad may require a walking stick when that day arrives.

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  14. That bull looks upset. I wonder if he would be happier if he had access to that lovely river in the first photo. I would be. It's been 30-35C here for the past week and forecast to continue until next week and for cryin' out loud we just got done having frost warnings at night ...

    Er, sorry to get off topic. I do like your photos, especially the first one, if I may repeat myself. It's good that you and Stew both like to hike. Shared interests make for happy in-laws.

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