Yesterday I was left on my own. Shirley had headed out to a regional meeting of The Women's Institute in which she is quite involved.
The sun was shining again and I was ready for some exercise. I didn't wish to travel far so soon I was back in the village of Hope. I parked Clint by the primary school and laced up my walking boots. My target destination was the summit of Losehill - often written Lose Hill. It stands 1,562 feet above sea level.
The last time I aimed for the top, snow was covering the entire Hope Valley. Beyond Lose Hill Farm the snow was compacted and very slippery so sensibly I turned back. This time the land was dry and new lambs were frolicking in some of the green fields.
Three men - presumably volunteers - were installing a brand new gate on the pathway and I complimented them on their work.
A good thing about solitary walking is that you can pause whenever you want to without having to apologise or explain to anybody else. You find your own pace and yesterday afternoon I was very much in the mood for an easy ascent.
On the way up, I met Rod and Eleanor from Norfolk. They were in Derbyshire on holiday. At the top, they asked me to take a photo of them using Eleanor's smartphone. I am useless with those things. The camera has an on-screen "button" but whenever I press, the camera seems to refuse to click. This time it took three gos before I actually registered an image.
It was much easier coming down - no need for little stops to catch my breath. I had been away from Clint for two and a half hours but I had had a good workout. Blood had pumped through my veins and I felt righteously tired. There was a flask of water in Clint's boot (American: trunk) and I poured half of it down my neck before returning home to make a chicken stir fry with boiled rice for our tea (Elsewhere: dinner or supper).
Such lovely countryside! And the sweet little critters, lambies as Phoebe might call them.
ReplyDeleteNice that you remembered that Deb!
DeleteSuch cute little lambs!
ReplyDeleteMostly they were not playing ball with the passing photographer.
DeleteWalking hills is great exercise. It's pretty flat out here as you've shown in some of your posts.
ReplyDeleteOkay, okay I know Mr Maple Syrup - we don't have hills like Canadian hills!
DeleteThe signpost looks brand new, too; maybe the same volunteers had put it up?
ReplyDeleteSweet lambs!
You had perfect weather for this kind of walk. Too warm, and the ascent would not have been much joy.
I thought just the same about the signpost. The last time I walked up there there was a weathered old signpost which I preferred.
DeleteSweet lambs. It was good of them to pose for you.
ReplyDeleteThey weren't plump enough for me to bring home for my Sunday dinner.
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ReplyDeletes good to get some exercise in lovely fresh air with such lovely views, but I do worry about you being off the beaten track without a decent phone if you had a mishap.
Humans have been on this planet for 300,000 years. Smartphones have been around for thirty years. However, I appreciate your concern Addy.
DeleteI recently met two Indian ladies wearing spectacular multi-coloured dresses. They were photographing each other in turn (in the graveyard), so I offered to take some of them together. What lovely ladies they were.
ReplyDeleteYou could be a volunteer, too.
ReplyDeleteA great walk and lambs, a perfect day out.
ReplyDeleteI love walking, and I try and explore something new in my walks every week. My companion walker is Shirley, and she never complains if I walk too fast or too slow! Beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteSo peaceful. Did you and the missus have lamb stew for dinner?
ReplyDeleteGood exercise, Neil, along with good views and good weather! Perfect day!
ReplyDeleteAh, another good walk in! And with lambs! Good for you.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful landscape on a sunny day. I don't suppose it's so welcoming when it's lashing rain and blowing a hoolie. The new signs will soon weather and fit into their surroundings.
ReplyDeleteThe last photo somehow triggered my brain to recall that in translations of the English nursery rhyme "Ba-a, ba-a, black sheep" to Swedish, the black sheep has become a white lamb ("Bä, bä, vita lamm"). I have now spent like an hour on Google and Wikipedia, but can't say I'm really any the wiser - neither as to why it was black in English to begin with, nor why (150 years later) it was turned white in Sweden... ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how quickly time passes when taking a beautiful hike.
ReplyDeleteLovely spring photos that make me smile.
ReplyDeleteI looked up The Woman's Institute and was shocked to find that it originated in Canada, as all good things do.
Sounds a good walk.
ReplyDeletenice - good to see you on NT land..... and of course.... you know we like it when people stop to talk and/or comment on the work we're doing..... it's always nice to speak to people about what they're up to and stuff..... keep it up
ReplyDeleteWhat sweet lambs. Yum.
ReplyDeleteA lovely day for a walk in the country. Those signposts are obviously new, so are easy to read but given the English climate, they will soon weather and become almost unreadable!
ReplyDeleteI presume you mean you poured the water down the inside of your neck. :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun walk. I hope to get out and do some walking this week now that I'm not working.
Once again, good work!
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