Fields of gold

Did the circular walk from Steel Rigg, up onto Peel Crags, to the Sycamore tree.

Spent some time there waiting for folk to move on and for clouds to move on.

A ewe and two lambs obligingly walked through my shot and two jets put a cross in the sky above Sycamore Gap.

It was Father's Day and every one seemed to be out for the same walk as me. I carried on up onto Highshields Crag, a tour group had stopped for a break there, it's a good place to stop with great views over Crag Lough.

There was even a fisherman out on the Lough, first one I've seen this year!

Lingered a while taking photo's of the boats the headed off behind Hotbank Farm.

There's a new foal on the farm and he was determined I wasn't going to pass through the gate. He set his hind quarters and everytime I pushed the gate he pushed back, typical cheeky youngster.

Eventually I managed to persuade him to let me through, I paused to take a few shots of his mother against the landscape of the Wall and he nibbled at my backpack, much to the amusement of other walkers who were passing us by. Beautiful animal.

The track back to the car park runs parallel to the Wall and I was walking through fields of buttercups, literally a field of gold.

Passing the Galloway cows, youngsters with the bull enjoyoing the sunshine. Quite recently a vet was killed by cows but she was walking with two dogs and the cow was protecting it's calf from the dogs.

It did say in a situation like that dogs on a lead will hide behind the owner so you should let the lead go so the dog can run off diverting the cow away from you.

Back to the car park and ready for a lunch, off to the Old Forge Tearoom at Greenhead where I enjoyed a bacon, brie and cranberry toasty with a nice cup of tea. Perfect way to end an afternoon out.

Catch you later.

15 03 09

Sunday and not a bad day weather wise.

There's a shot of Mucklebank Crags I'd like to get but it needs a figure in the shot to give it the right scale.(Mucklebank Crags are the two bumps in the distance on this photograph of Walltown Crags)

I head off to Walltown, I thought I'd be tripping over mating toads as usual at this time of the year but I don't see any at all, shame as I'd like some toadspawn for my pond. Toads return to the pond they were 'born' in, often travelling miles overland to get there.

I take the gentle incline around the lake and head up towards Hadrian's Wall and the gnarly hawthorn tree.

Photographers all claim this little tree as their own, but of course they're wrong, it's my tree :)

With a good cloudscape it can make a spectacular shot but today's is pretty average. Of course that doesn't stop me taken half a dozen anyway in case the camera sees something I don't.

Wander along following the line of Hadrian's Wall, Walltown has some fairly sunstantial chunks of Wall and they are fairly easy to access, as long as you can climb up to them.

The views across towards the Solway are amazing, you can see into Scotland on a clear day, nearer the views are across Longbyre and Gilsland.

The light is coming and going and there aren't many people about, certainly not as many as I expected. I catch some sheep grazing in the dip and set up the tripod. Don't know who has been training them but, as soon as they see a camera, they turn their backs like reluctant celebrities. I take shots all the way along the crest of Walltown Crags,although they're not my favourite type of photograph, you never know when you might need a simple sunny day shot.

I eventually get along the top of Walltown Crags to the spot I need for my shot of Mucklebank Crag, a bit of twoing and froing before I'm happy with the composition and then I wait for someone to come along.

A pheasant wanders across the view, stopping to cluck at me but not at all afraid, not quite the figure I had in mind.

Wouldn't you just know it - the sun goes in, and this time it stays in as big banks of cloud blow in from the west.

Putting a mental 'x' marks the spot I pack up and head back to the car. As often happens as I'm heading back streams of folk appear, I suppose I was being optomistic to think they'd be out before 10am on a Sunday :)

Not long until Easter, if the weather is good to us I'll get my shot then and I know exactly where to stand for it.

I was back home by 2pm for a nice cup of coffee and a Werthers. In a week or so's time the Old Forge Tea Room in Greenhead will re-open after a refit, I've heard they do amazing cupcakes, something to look forward to.