Day 163 - Big Skies and Far Reaching Views

I've been AWOL this week so need to catch up here. Work is depressing as usual and I've not felt like being at the computer - I've been reading, 5 books read already this month (3 of them nature based)!

Today I had plans for a walk with family from Lancashire but we decided to take a literal rain check on plans as the forecast is for 'persistent heavy rain with strong gusts of wind' here pretty much all weekend. I don't mind walking in the rain, but combined with strong winds, it would have been miserable to be out all day - and then I'd have had to go to the cinema (I'm seeing The Martian tonight at The Northern Light - the book was really good so hopefully the film will be too) probably looking like a drowned rat straight after - not fun.

Anyway, enough rambling... back to Tuesday 10th, Day 163 of 366 Days Wild. It was windy again (I don't like wind!) so I wasn't prepared to spend long outdoors but I did find myself on high ground, right by a trig point, where I stopped to take in the views and watch a flock of gulls and a small flock of starlings.

In one direction, the cloud was broken with blue sky breaking though..

In the opposite direction, thick bands of clouds - all moving across very quickly in the strong winds.

Black backed gulls...

and starlings which never stayed still long enough for a photo!

It's a shame about the power lines in the photo below, but one of the things I love most about the area around here is the views. I've always been able to see for miles and miles and miles where I've lived and I grew up rather taking that for granted, not realising until I was an adult how lucky I was to have always been surrounded by big skies and so much wide open space, not realising how so many people didn't live with the same far views and wide open space around them. I really appreciate now!

Below the furthest hills are the edges of Snowdonia. Moel Famau is the central peak and closer to, on the left, is Beeston Hill and Peckforton.  On the full size image, I can see Beeston Castle on the hill.  Today was the first time I've stopped and actually looked at the view that direction from that road (it's one I've only rarely travelled along). Next time, I will pay more attention I think.