5 April: Blossom

Suddenly, all those scruffy bits of roadside hedge are alight with blossom!  Rather dull banks are sprinkled with flowers, and the birds are over enthusiastic at 4 a.m.  There was plenty of this where we walked this morning -

And this is what passing traffic missed -

It's blackthorn, I think.

18 January: A Tuesday walk

A bright sunny afternoon, clear and cold. We thought that one of the muddy paths in the woods might still be frozen after last night's hard frost, so we set out.

It was muddy in places, but lovely to be out. From the path across a field we could see Brancepeth Castle in the distance -

Not as sharp as it could be, but it's only a small and old camera (about 3 or 4 megapixels, I can't remember), and it was on maximum zoom.  It's much better for the close-up shot, like this interesting bark we saw further on -

To follow up the previous post, my sciatica cleared up quickly, as quickly as I regained a pound in weight.  Hmmm.

29 July: A Wednesday Walk

Another in the occasional series of walks - this one was in Weardale, starting from Wolsingham. The route took in Tunstall Reservoir, seen here to the right of the dam -


The water level had been low for long enough that plants had grown round the overflow area -

The weather was fairly kind, just a few drops of rain (the magic overtrousers needed only to be carried); we had an excellent picnic lunch, eaten as we sat on rocks and contemplated the rain clouds at the bottom end of the dale; and the route provided plenty of interest and a few challenges, as well as wonderful views.

We returned to tea and birthday cake, a good hot soak and a lie down.

21 April: Wednesday Walk in Hamsterley Forest

Bright and sunny, though still a bit chilly, today, so off we went to Hamsterley Forest for one of our regular walks.

This tree looked as if it was draped with velvet -


- and this plant growing strongly beside the path surprised us -


I think it's skunk cabbage, but it's not listed in my usual handbook of British wild flowers, so I'm not really sure.

Down by the river, many of the trees have had the ground eroded away from around their roots -


The river itself was quiet today, as was the Forest - we saw only a few people, and those mostly in the car park.

6 April: Wednesday walk on Tuesday

Today we did something we'd spoken about idly several times since getting the Bus Passes - we took the bus from the end of our street, got off at a convenient place for coffee and a bun, then walked home. It took less than 2 and a half hours.

We managed to walk down one path we've never been along before, and found that another track through the woods has been repaired and a footbridge improved since we last came that way.

We walked through fields where skylarks were flying up on both sides, singing as they hung on the breeze. The bumble bees are just emerging this week, too, so spring is really under way.

Crossing this field, we wondered if we were missing something -


- but there was no invisible fence. It might have been a magic stile, the entrance to another world. We went round it, just in case.

1 February: Woodland walk

The hard frost last night meant that all the clarty bits of the path through the woods were frozen. In the trees we were sheltered from the wind, which was still chilly.


And there was sunshine! We had intended just a short walk for some air, but it was so pleasant we went further, so it was getting gloomy and cold by the time we got home. An unexpected chat with a man walking his dog delayed us more, and we needed our nice cup of tea when we got indoors.


In the garden earlier, when I was sweeping the remnants of yesterday's snow off the path, I noticed several bulbs pushing strong fat shoots above the ground.

25 December: A breath of fresh air

We finally braved the snow and ice, and got out for a walk. After yesterday morning's fall of about 3 inches of snow, there had been a slight thaw, then a freeze overnight. But the sun shone on the path through the wood -


And the pond was sheltered from the wind -

Apart from three or four cars and two dogs taking themselves for an unaccompanied walk, we saw nobody; it was lovely and quiet.

13 December: Holly, ivy, and sloes

Part of this afternoon's walk was along a sunlit hedge, festively decorated with holly -


- ivy, and lichen -


- and sloes! This is the first time we've seen fruit on these sloe trees, though they have plenty of blossom every year.


Perhaps the birds find them too sour to eat until everything else has gone.

6 December: Welcome sunshine

The sun shone on our walk round Gibside today. Look at the clear blue sky -


and here is a photo of the sun shining over the pond -


This one shows rather better what the afternoon was like -

25 November: Showers

The weather forecast was for strong winds, showers, and bright spells. So we thought we'd have a walk in Hamsterley Forest.

The shower started as we left the car, and continued with only a short break (when it dripped from the trees) until we got back, an hour and three-quarters later. The sun did come out briefly, while it was still raining; so at least there was a rainbow.

There was plenty of water already in the stream -


- looking rather like Guinness. There were a surprising number of people about, mostly on mountain bikes.

I wonder why raincoat hoods always fall down over your face, keeping your glasses dry but allowing you to see only about 6 feet in front of you?

24 September: Moo?

Having done my shopping, and having a spare half hour, I walked along the riverbank. Sadly, the ox has been graffiti-ed, but only on the front -


It was too bright to see the camera screen, so I wasn't quite sure how this picture would come out -


A couple passing by seemed amused. We aim to entertain.

3 September: A Wednesday walk

When you've been feeling poorly, with a pain in the chest that wakes you in the night, there is nothing as curative as a walk through the woods.


See what I mean? It was round about this point that the pain faded away, and I began to feel normal again.

Further on, we passed this wonderful old hollow oak, which actually had a small toadstool growing on the patch of moss inside the live outer shell.


In the end we had the longest walk we've done for a couple of weeks; excellent preparation for a short trip away. Which reminds me, I must sort out a bag of knitting to take.

28 July: A Wednesday walk

We waited for the parcel postman to come round, then we went out for a bit of a walk.

After tea and birthday cake in the cafe, we strolled round the Botanic Garden, ending up in the bird hide.

There weren't many birds about, but eventually some wildlife appeared.


followed shortly by a couple of other creatures -


There was also a lesser spotted woodpecker, which evaded photographic capture.

7 April: Upper Teesdale

A glorious walk today in Teesdale, from Cotherstone to Egglestone and back, mostly beside the River Tees.


There were ruins - this farm for example. The sheep here had no lambs with them, as many others did.


The chapel at Egglestone Hall is ruined and full of plants -


There were several bridges on our route; this 17th century one at Egglestone -



a footbridge over the Tees, with varied materials -


and another over the Balder; this one has a metal parish marker by the near end -


A few April showers, plenty of sunshine, good company, and a sensational lunch. Brilliant!

20 March: The Green Man smiles

The Green Man smiles in the spring sunshine.

New lambs are making their appearance, and the skylark has returned.

14 March: Gibside

As we'd been up to Newcastle on a re-cycling mission, we decided to go to Gibside (Gibside Chapel, a NT property) for a bite to eat and a walk.

The path we usually follow goes along by the River Derwent. Beside the stream, beneath the trees - those fuzzy yellow blobs are daffodils.

I love to find an interesting old tree to photograph.


And Gibside has its own Statue of Liberty -


A bit of a lizard-on-a-column* shot, but that was as close as we got to it this visit.

One tree had been "improved" - perhaps by a fan of Gonzo?


* we have (as you may also have) a number of poor holiday photos of the ground, apparently nothing in particular, which were almost all an attempt to photograph a small and indistinct lizard; we find "lizard shot" a very useful label.

24 December: ABC - W for Wednesday Walk 7

W was going to be Wool, and my spinning Wheel, but we had a really glorious walk in Hamsterley Forest today, so it's another Walk.

There were very few vehicles in the car park when we arrived, about 10.30; by the time we left there were more, but it was still a minority choice for a visit today.

The sun shone over the moorland, and there were still some Christmas trees left.

Not all the trees are Forestry Commission planted conifers. This one was there long before the Forestry Commission -


And so was this one, which was pollarded many, many years ago -


There was a lot of water in the ditches and on the tracks, though the river didn't seem particularly full. In a few places, temporary streams were making their own way down to the valley bottom -


When we got home, the postman had brought the Christmas present that DH had been hoping for!

15 December: Wednesday (moved to Sunday) Walk 6

The unceasing rain on Saturday fell as snow further up Weardale, as we found when we set out for a walk.

At this point we were at 2 degrees, West and Centigrade, according to those of us who had high-tech stuff with them.


There was sunshine on the other side of the dale, behind Stanhope.


And of course, a few sheep got into the photos.


It didn't feel very cold, as the air was still. So was the water in the old quarry.


Home in time for tea by the fire, with home-made cake and home-made shortbread.

19 November: Wednesday Walk 5

Earlier in the year I demonstrated spinning at an event at Durham Wildlife Trust's Rainton Meadows. Busy all day, I didn't have a chance then to explore the place; so a return visit was well overdue.

This sculpture has some connection with the Great North Forest, and seems to have been designed by William Pym. It is in danger of being totally engulfed by the surrounding willow growth, which is flourishing in the marshy ground.


Beyond the sculpture, at the end of that path is a lake, complete with swan.


Much of the area is still getting established, with newish tree planting. There are several ponds or lakes, but there seems to be no public access to most of them. One bird-watching hide is unfinished, another appears to have been vandalised already - the seats are missing. Signs mark some of the surfaced paths as part of the Coalfield Way.

A large number of geese were circling overhead, honking loudly; one group detached itself and flew off northwards. There was a group of a dozen or so lapwings on one pond - the most I've seen together in one place for a while.

The area round Joe's Pond seems much more established, with older trees and scrub surrounding it and providing shelter. It seems popular with ducks and swans, who leave their feathers all over the place -


And they must be fed by some of the visitors, as a number of them rushed across and started squabbling.


No crumbs today, perhaps next time.