Just about bordering on odd, I see things through different eyes.The heading says it all - I live, I love, I craft, I am me...

03/05/2016

Road trip

Now,  every now and then I get very dissatisfied with myself and forgot to see the beauty of my surroundings and that in reality I am very lucky.  Saturday was one such day. The weather certainty didn't help. Despite it being a bright blue sky,  it was cold, the sort of cold that feels brittle.

I tried gardening in the greenhouse but even with a heavy coat and boots the cold, like my mood was rather stony. Being numbingly tired certainly aggravated the situation...

Then, mid way through the afternoon both the weather and my scowl lifted and I announced firmly that, when Youngest had returned home, we would jump in the car, stop along the way at our favourite  fish and chippery then we would find ourselves a hill, watch the sun go down and eat hot chips with our fingers.

Funnily enough every one agreed without a moment 's hesitation.

So that's what we did.

Our 2CV cheerily trundled us and a large flask of tea through the country lanes as we headed to Settle. The town centre was quiet - so very much quieter than it had been the day before - when the bicycle racing fraternity came to town. (A story for another day).
Vinegary and salted yummy purchases made, we set off for a conveniently situated hill, 
the car filling with mouth watering hot food smells 
and rumbling tum sounds.
As we drove upwards, we slowed to noisily rattle over a cattle grid 
when we were bleated at VeRy LOuDlY
by a ewe and her lamb.
So Youngest hopped out - well this was our 'road trip' and we could do what we wanted!
He knelt down and fed handfuls of grass to a rather friendly ewe.
She must have been expecting her farmer with her evening meal 
and we appeared instead!
A few short (but increasingly hungry) minutes later,
we had parked up,
view sorted,
picnic blanket laid out
and with extra blankets wrapped around us
we tucked in to our delicious paper wrapped meal.
Tea poured, fingers licked 
and satisfied hmmmings filled the air.
Even the biting cold air
didn't damped our mood.
We were cozy under crochet blankies,
slurping hot tea,
tummies full and happy.
We sat and gazed on an endless sky
and scudding clouds.
Reluctantly, we eventually grew too cold
to linger any longer,
so picnic packed, we returned to the car
and continued our road trip.
Himself followed the country lanes as they
gently rolled up and over hills
and through valleys.
Along the way we spotted the  magical folk who fill the space in evenings.
Hungry raptors feasted on fallen lambs
while being harassed by loudly cawing crows.
Eventually giving way to crow crowd pressure
effortlessly soaring away before vanishing into a nearby woodland.
Later still, as we still bumbled along,
more dusk dwelling folk were spied
quietly lolloping through silent meadows.
We watched, 
our road trip temporarily halted.
The light fading to a soft grey haze, 
I felt ready to return home,
I felt a lot happier.
I felt stronger and more able to practise gratitude.
The magic of our micro-adventure had worked.




9 comments:

  1. What more could one want for a perfect time? Fish and chips, family, views to die for and the a hare and raptor (buzzard?). Fab story and photos (as usual you never disappoint).

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a wonderful place to have a picnic. The scenery in your part of the world is stunning. Funny coincidence, I was in Clapham (the one near you not the one in London) on Saturday at a birthday party and then I drove home for fish and chips for tea (which we ate at home not al fresco but we still had a lovely view!). Nature is a great restorer isn't it. Enjoy your week.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a lovely late afternoon outing. We've done similar, but not for a while and it's coming on winter here. Hmmm! I do love hares, so thanks for that pic and of course the scenery is scintillating. Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely, lovely, lovely, definitely a "soul enriching" outing. There is something terribly scrummy about the smell of fish & chips in a car. They taste so much better that way than if eaten on a plate (on the rare occasions we do this, we even take a small bottle of vinegar along with the flask of tea!)

    Your hare was a wonderful finale, such special creatures, a totem telling you that you were doing the right thing {{huggles}}

    ReplyDelete
  5. Fish and chips eaten as they should be, with fingers for forks and paper for plates with the added bonus of sitting in your own restaurant with lots of fresh air and wonderful views. Fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  6. what a perfect little afternoon!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Fish and Chips above Settle, how lovely. Your drive home was full of interesting things too. Lovely evening. ❤❤ xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. what a wonderful evening x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lovely to go out exploring with you!

    ReplyDelete

Hi there...

Thank you ever so much for stopping by today - I'm really glad that you did. If you would like to leave me a comment then I would be delighted to hear from you, any one signing as anonymous or writing anything unkind, political, any form of hate or computer generated will be acknowledged as spam and deleted.

Hawthorn x

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.