Moments of light

Now I know you may have been out with me on these early mornings before but, while the places may be the same, Mother Nature makes sure conditions on each occasion are quite different.

It was touch and go this morning, quite a bit of cloud about but as they say 'you have to be in it to win it', definately no photographs staying in bed, and maybe this morning would be a WOW morning. You just never can tell.

November and December have very low light, the sun doesn't rise in a very high arc through the sky as I'm sure you know if you're trying to drive with blinding sun low in your eyes.

With no mist we decided to go to Cawfields Crag, there's a lovely stretch of Wall there and with a bit of luck the rising sun will catch the stones for me.

Still no birds on the waters at Cawfields Quarry, maybe they'll come in when the weather gets colder, it has been unseasonably warm for November, hasn't it?

While the walk from the car park to the start of the Wall is muddy, the Hadrian's wall Path on Cawfield Crags is suprisingly dry and so if you're thinking of a bit of Hadrian's Wall  to go for a winter walk it's worth condsidering.

We got to the bit of Cawfields Crag, just west of Thorney Doors, where you can see Hadrian's Wall progressing up and down the crags all the way to Winshields Crag.

The sky began to colour up to the south of us, gorgeous light but nothing to put in front of it to make a pleasing composition, one thing we're short of on Hadrian's Wall is nice photogenic trees.

Eventually as the sun began to rise the colour spread across the sky.

We got ourselves ready for action and it started to rain a bit of a bummer when you're using filters (ND soft grads) .

Just as the rain stopped and the filters had been hastily dried off the sunlight caught the stones of the Wall. 

It always feels a bit like those old movies where the troops were told "don't to shoot until you see the white of their eyes". The shutter clattered away and I managed four shots before the light disappeared, so fleeting but it makes such a difference.

Realising that was more or less it we wandered back to the car park stopping to catch a few obligatory shots of Cawfield Quarry, before heading home for breakfast.

Catch you later,

Joan

Luxury of a lie in

Oh! what luxury it is to be getting up for a sunrise at 6.30am, it seems like cheating somehow.

I even had time for a cup of coffee, then was delayed when the outdoor cat made a dash up the stairs as soon as I opened the front door. He's not house trained so I had to ferret him out from under the dressing table.

My plan was to go to Cawfields for some of my favourite mist pictures but when  I got there the mist was so dense my viewpoints were obscured.

Onto plan B, take the high ground and a climb up to the highest point on the Wall at Winshields Crag, (NY742675) was just the thing.

The mist was pooling at the foot of Peel Crags (NY756676) when I arrived at Steel Rigg so of course I had a moments hesitation but as the sun light is to the south at the moment I decided to go with plan B and make the climb.

Walked out of the car park at Steel Rigg (NY750676) and climbed over the wall steps, taking a minute to admire the new kissing gate the NNPA have put in leading onto Steel Rigg.

Onwards and up the hill, very muddy and from the way the mud is churned up I'd guess there are still a lot of people enjoying the Hadrian's Wall Path.

The way up to the trig point is littered with the  wax cap fungi, such bright colours - I'm sure I saw somewhere that they are becoming rare and you're supposed to record sightings but I'm blowed if I can remember where I saw it.

Texel ewes are out in the fields, soon the tups will be in with them, I told the ladies not to take any notice of his sweet talking ways.

The view from Winshields is breathtaking at most times but today it was doubly so - the mist was rising like waves crashing up over Highshields Crag and I probably spent more time watching it that I did taking photographs.

Sun is rising over the Long Stone momument and, as it happens, the Twice Brewed Pub.

Of course, as Winshields is the highest point, you get views all around and to the west you could see pools of mist with the Nine Nicks of Thirlwall standing proud above the sea of white.

I was out for ages this morning but eventually rumblings reminded me that I hadn't had breakfast so I headed back downhill to the car.

As is my habit I called into Cawfields Quarry (NY713665) to see if there were any birds on the lake there.

I found a big yellow gully cleaning truck chugging away so any wildfowl were long gone.

Click on the pictures if you'd like to see them at a larger size.

Catch you later.

Joan

Sunny days

Hasn't the weather been wonderful?

Thank goodness the forecaster's got it wrong, here on Hadrian's Wall we've had Wall to Wall sunshine and people have been out enjoying themselves.

I was out at Cawfileds Quarry for a sunrise shot, lovely wispy mist curls rising in the first rays of the sun, just beautiful.

The sun came up like a big bright ball, so once it had crested the hill it was too bright for photographs.

It was on this early morning trip that I lost my Nikon remote shutter release, a replacement costs £60 so later that day, once the dew had dried off the grass, we went out to look for it.

(Didn't find it unfortunately)

Cawfields was transformed from the peaceful calm scene I'd witnessed some hours before, it was now a buzzing bright place. Families having picnics, children playing in the water and one couple had a boat and were paddling around the lake.

Not entirely sure they're 'allowed' to do this but on a hot day it looked the perfect way to spend an afternoon and I was envious.

Because there's a toilet block there and well manicured picnic areas it's a great place for families to spend a day.

The quarry lake is very deep, someone told me there are several cars and even an old double decker bus at the bottom of the lake so it's deep and it's cold, with a sudden drop not too far from the edge.

If you're tempted to cool off after a long tiring walk along Hadrian's Wall remember this and stay safe.

Catch you later.