Walking Weather

Hello Lovelies,

the last few days have been very cloudy in the mornings.....it's not the best for photography, but it's perfect for a long walk.......and being me, I still take loads of photos anyway :0)

On Wednesday morning I headed out to do a couple of hours and hopefully discover some new footpaths to add to my favourites.

 I walked along local streets and squeezed down a narrow passageway thick with summer vegetation. Then paused at the end, to drink in the view of the green summer landscape spread out in front of me............

The furry Barley fields are just starting to show a hint of gold.............

But the Wheat is still quiet green...........

I'm trying to use this walk as a health walk so the pace is quick, except when I stop to take photos.

And I'm wearing my sturdy walking shoes and my trusty rucksack , with it's crochet Roses still attached.......

got to have a bit of prettiness.

Ah, a stile........I like to think climbing over lots of these is good exercise too............

This one has a special "dog door" , did you spot it? you lift up the black handle to let your doggy through.

Now I have a short road stretch, past characterful old houses.............

and a phone box which is now a mini Library..............

The notice says "Bring a book, Borrow a book"

Then I leave the road and head along a bridleway which looks to me like it may have been an old drovers route many years ago..........

I pass a couple of dog walkers here , but it's very quiet. There's just the distant hum of traffic and lots of birdsong that, not for the first time, I wish I was better at identifying.

The plants are easier to name...there are those I've always known....like  Clover........

And those you can research back at home..............

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Each Gateway has a smattering of Poppies..............

Further along the vegetation has almost covered the old road.............

But a single track of stones is still visible...............

I wonder about how long they have been there and how many feet have walked across them.

Further still, I manage to zoom in on some more pretty poppies...........

Then get up close................

A perfect sign of summer.

This bridleway heads towards that barn in the distance , it's not as picturesque as the previous part of my walk, but I'm still happy to be discovering somewhere new...............

 I stride along...... happy that's the sun isn't beating down....but I'm still hot and regret that I didn't bring a drink.......

It's very satisfying to glance back and see how far you've come............

Up close to the huge new barns I'm amused to find a tiny "barn" in their shadow.............

love the folding bike leaning against it's doors too.

The real barns are not so pretty.......very industrial looking...........

but they are sheltering  a butterfly I've never seen before.............

Ringlet

By this time I had been walking for about one and a half hours. I realised I wouldn't get home in time to meet mum for our usual outing , so I phoned her and arranged to get picked up a in 45 minutes.......just time to whiz through this pretty village...........

where this colourful garden caught my eye...............

Then I headed down another track, this one was cool and dark , the trees laden with unripe Damsons?

I got a bit lost at this point and was glad to sit on this bench a minute while I studied my map..........

It had a touching plaque..........

I realised I needed to retrace my steps a bit and then I found the right path. It led to the allotments........

Yay I do like a nosey around these interesting places. These well protected strawberries looked yummy but I wondered what the strings were for...........

Maybe a deterrent for birds or rabbits?

Or chickens :0)

This final field I needed to walk through contained the first Livestock I had encountered..........

I do love sheep and these had such sweet faces..........the one on the right looks like it's smiling and the one on the left looks surprised .......I expect it was baaing at me...........

Then up ahead I saw a lone sheep laying right in the path...........

I expected it would jump up and run back to the rest of the flock when I got close........but instead this gentle old ewe walked towards me...........

and came to say hello...............

before she ambled slowly back to her family.............

 I left the field and started walking along the road where mum stopped to pick me up.......my walk was five and a half miles long and had taken me just over two hours to do.

I'm really enjoying getting out, exploring my local area in this way......and it's great to be able to record my little outings here. I do hope you enjoy seeing them too.
Jacquie x