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10/01/2021

Soft and Silver Sunday Skies

A quiet, slow day - one made for curling up on the settee with a book. One for sipping mug-loads of hot tea and may be surreptitiously dunking a digestive or two. A day that might involve a bit of knitting, blogging and other wonderfully lazy-cat activities.
Or so I thought. I managed an hour or so of gentle nothingness and general sloth-alicious settee behaviour when Himself suddenly got up and, in his best rally the troops voice managed to peel the sloth (me) and her son (Youngest) off the settees and away from the fire. Moss, of course was in on this pressganging and bounced about like the dilly dog she is.
Wrapped up warmly we set off - I was not really in the mood for a walk, but knowing 'that it would be good for me' trudged along behind the other two. Well three really, Moss always out front 'scouting for sticks/rivers/mud puddles/slush and ice'. Himself and Youngest skated and slid rather joyfully along the icy patches while Moss joined in with happy circles.
Despite the thick grey mist, there was a 'lightness' in the air. The fine misty rain constantly flickering on my face was more of a sensation than a drenching. The faint breeze swirled silently, barely perceivable until it found bare damp skin when it then became sharp and brittle.
Distant trees faded in and out of view, large pale shapes in the subdued pewter grey sky. No bird song, no traffic, no dogs barking. Just our scrunching boots in sloppy, crunchy, muddy, icy snow.
The faded splendour of the original Victorian gates perfect for the eerie atmosphere and with the crows flying silently over head adding to that abandoned Gothic mansion feel.
The next field was filled with sheep, not that you could easily see them, they were fleeting ghosts in the far distance. 
The only obvious evidence of their existence was the trail of trampled fodder, which despite it's bedraggled appearance still gave off that fruity sweet perfume of meadow hay so reminiscent of heady summer days.


Silent sentinels.

A old cast iron kissing gate (type of swing gate) - my favourite photograph from today's walk.
Frozen animal drinking trough
A slippery drover's track.
On our final return stretch, we could hear cattle bellowing raucously in the 'invisible' distance. As we approached we could make out a huge steaming mass of cows and calves with the one cream coloured bull squeezed into the middle. They had heard a tractor bringing their food and they bawled rather loud encouragement at their farmer.
The matriarch cow, taller and certainly louder, reached up and managed to grasp a mouthful as the tractor approached. As soon as the bale had been placed in the galvanised feed ring, the bellowing and hollering stopped and all we could hear was the tractor trundling back towards the farm and the sound of satisfied chewing of fodder.
Then once again, the only sound was our boots slipping or crunching through the rapidly melting snow. 
Although it was still raining, my initial reluctance to walk had all vanished, the air still damp and cold had been refreshing and invigorating,  now I was ready - as we all were - for a mug of tea. Time for one last run around, then home xx


Thank you everyone for joining in with last Friday's photo hunt - a lovely selection of stories and photos. Here is to our next Scavenger photo hunt, Friday 15th January - this week's theme is NEW. Until then have a good week x


24 comments:

  1. I am full of admiration for the effort put into dragging yourself out of the cosines and into the cold ... I’m sure it was more than worth it ... and definitely deserving of at least a few digestives for dunking upon your return. We have only ventured as far as the recycling bin today and are feeling very lazy 😊

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    1. It is that moment of 'mind over matter' and making that first step, it does get easier after that and yes tea and digestives were definitely had when we returned!

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  2. Your words paint the pictures. Thank you.

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    1. Thank you Jill x Our temperatures have gone up a whole 4 deg c - hope yours have too so you can get out and about x

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  3. I would have been annoyed to be dragged away for a walk, but look what wonderful photos you got.

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    1. The initial reluctance soon went and I took soooooo-oooooo many photos :)

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  4. Your photos are beautiful. Sometimes it does the soul good to take a walk in less than ideal weather... I'm glad you went as I enjoyed your photos and your words.

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    1. Thank you Debi, I agree it does enrich the soul doesn't it? 🥰

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  5. Lovely descriptions, and a lesson to me in finding joy and beauty on even the most miserable of days!

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    1. Sometimes it is hard to get past that initial 'grump' then suddenly you feel nature washing over you and you feel so so much better - it also helps to have a dog that loves mud or snow and makes you share her every delight in being out in either/both!

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    2. Nature washing over you - that's exactly what it is. :-)

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  6. Lovely photos of mist and snow - but I'm glad I wasn't there! Although I'm sure it would have been good for me

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    1. It was a little fresh I do have to say, but it felt good once we'd completed our walk and I was pleased with the photos I had taken :)

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  7. I know that kissing gate, the one with the very smooth round top. Still too icy for me to go out walking but I'm glad you took my spirit with you yesterday. Very little snow on the ground now but wet rain instead so I'm not thinking of going out for a walk.... x

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    1. With all that rain yesterday and overnight - no snow. But mud... lots of mud!
      Strangely I had replied to this comment and find that it, plus two others have not appeared?

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  8. Thank you for this entertaining post as I sit shivering facing my computer screen. You describe it all so well that I can practically feel your reluctance to move snuggled in under the warmth of your home. Your fascinating photos draw me back to early mornings when I used to walk (no stride) with my Dad across the wintery fields up into the woods with our dog Rex. I remember that Somerset coldness and the chill of the damp fog but also as you mention that rewarding warmth and invigorating feeling on the return journey that makes you relish the cooked breakfast and hot cuppa tea there..back home. keep well Amanda x

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    1. Today is more akin to your recollection of the Somerset cold and chill, we have had about 24 hours of rain, so all snow now gone, but the air is damp cold however the bright sky and sunshine more than make up for it :)
      I had replied to this comment and find that it and two others did not publish?

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  9. Ooh, should have looked at my computer last night & felt the coolness of this post. We were utterly wiped out from a 36deg day with cooler today, then another belter on Wednesday. I absolutely love some of those photos & my favourites are the ones of Himself & Youngest cavorting on the track & the kissing gate one, along with the cows, as I know from country living exactly how they can hear the tractor & congregate at the gate. Do love that spring-made rooster on the post.....some very imaginative person did that. Thanks so much for this post, take care, stay warm & safe and huggles.

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    1. All the snow has gone and been replaced with lots of mud! Plenty of rain over night saw to that :) Will go out for a walk/mud fest later - still very cool but the sun is shining

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  10. Good to get out, even if it makes you appreciate indoors...and summer when it comes....even more!!

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    1. I agree, it does make you appreciate the good weather (and the warm indoors) and even if it is a good walk, returning to the warm house and putting the kettle on makes it all that better :)

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  11. Hi, stopping over from Sam's place to say hello. What beautiful photos you captured while out in the cold. The one with the gate is my favorite too. I see you also host a photo hunt, I love a good photo hunt and will plan to play along often. It's nice to "meet" you! :)

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  12. The drover's track looks treacherous. I expect that mug of tea was much welcomed. X

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