Rainy days and plays days....

......are one and the same this time of the year.

We had a mission and the weather was not going to get in the way. Eldest had to pick up a birthday gift he'd seen a couple of weekends ago. We could not purchase it then as the birthday girl was within arm's reach.

Our destination - Grassington - a vibrant little village which has made the most of it's charm by having the sort of shops that just draw the visitors. Tea rooms, gift shops, walking and camping outlets, craft shops and themed weekends like music festivals and the 1940s weekend.

Our plan was to park high above the village, have a walk for the dog and a picnic lunch for us, then to return back down and collect the birthday pressie. Well, you know what they say about plans...... the weather certainly had!

We sat, parked high above the village - as planned and had a carnic (as in car picnic) and watched hail, sleet and rain roar up the valley and over the moors. We were definitely NOT getting out - just yet.

The boys read their books, I crocheted (a story for another day) and Himself listened to music and watched the elements churning overhead, tearing clouds and bending trees double.

The last crumb from our sandwiches gone, our tea drunk and all the carnic accoutrements away, we watched through the rain streaked windscreen a small break in the clouds and Himself roused us from our snug positions as we wrapped up and braved the weather.

 We marched sharply up the gravel track, over the brow of the hill, dropping into a marginally sheltered valley. The wind was sharp enough to cut right through but at the cracking pace we had set we soon warmed up.

The small break in the clouds widened and the sun flooded through - the colours sharpened and the sky became more dramatic, losing it's leaden sullen expanse.

A turn through a stone wall revealed a wooden post with it's exposed rings.

History abounded on our little walk - mining stories and scars covered the moors. Pits, whims, tramways, tunnels, tracks and  chimneys. We have walked here before and just soaked up the archaic feel. 

Another wall and style exposed us fully to a chilly breeze and we picked up the pace again, only stopping briefly to explore mine pits and read some information boards. The car called us and the clouds were definitely closing in rapidly.

Time to drive back down into the valley and do our birthday shopping. Our cheeks red and our hands brittle with cold - but we all had a silly grin on our faces, the walk - as brief and as snappy as it was - was brilliant!