7 Wild Days Christmas - Day 7

I had a day off today :)

I had things to do at home but managed to get out around 2 for an hour or so and decided to have a quick walk at Ilam, just  in the parkland around the hall...

I followed my usual route, saying hello to the old copper beech...

Then over Bertram's Bridge.

As a rule, I like to walk in the woods on the hill on this side of the river but  the bridge I need to cross the river again further down is still out of use (it's been so long, it frustrates me, I'm not sure they're ever going to repair it) so I wandered along the path a little way and then turned back.

After crossing Bertram's Bridge again, I wandered alongside the river on the hall side,

Had I gone up into the woods I'd have missed the fungi and alder catkins...

This is only a short walk

Soon I'd looped around and was at the tea room, but resisted the temptation to go and see what cakes were left today!

This is part of the hall. It's a youth hostel, so if you fancy a stay in a pretty nice spot in the Peak District... https://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/yha-ilam-hall

I followed the path away from the hall, down past the church.

I like to wander past the old oaks and sycamores as I leave :)

Were it not for this little 7 Days Wild, I would definitely not have gone outdoors today, I'd have done some admin or reading or other indoor stuff at home, but I really loved getting out on this grey afternoon and wandering alone through the landscape so thanks to the Wildlife Trust for getting me outdoors this week :)

A lovely end to the year.
 
I have another day off tomorrow and a half formed plan for a walk, perhaps at Macclesfield Forest but then I'm likely to change my mind regarding where to walk several times before I get my boots on tomorrow... decisiveness is not one of my strengths!

7 Wild Days Christmas - Day 6

Another work day for me and I finished later than expected after a pretty rubbish day. Unlike yesterday, I felt the need to get out this afternoon.. I needed a bit of solitude in nature today - mud to sink my boots into, fresh air, smells of earth and wood smoke... a praline hot chocolate from Jolly's was also in my thoughts and so I found myself arriving at Curbar Gap, just in time to join the queue and get my fix before they closed :)

I was just in time to see a skein of geese flying overhead, hearing their calls as they passed overhead, as I took my hot chocolate down the road to my usual bench...

It didn't take long to cool at all, there was a bitterly cold wind blowing right into my face, making my eyes water (as always!)... I really don't like windy days.

There, I sat beneath one tree with a robin singing in the branches overhead and looked out to another tree, watching a kestrel hunting.

As you might have noticed, my photos are a bit on the blue and grainy side because I was here for around an hour between 3:30 and 4:30pm, daylight fading fast and twilight taking over.

Hot chocolate drained, I set off across Baslow Edge

Passing the Eagle Stone

and head down around the hill, walking back beneath the edge.

Once again, I was so glad I made the effort and squeezed in my hour outdoors and the sky, as I drove home, was beautiful with that ever changing patch of light until the sun set completely.

7 Wild Days Christmas - Day 5

I was at work before dawn this morning and didn't get home until almost 3pm. Another gloomy day here, very windy too, and what I really wanted to do was eat cake, drink tea and take a book to the sofa  but I know I would have just fallen asleep trying to read and I know I always feel better when I get out for a walk, so I pulled on my wellies and headed out. The sun made a brief appearance as I squeezed in a short walk around Gun Hill (I haven't seen it since Christmas Eve, it's been low cloud here all week).

I could see more mist rolling in from the Cheshire Plain as I neared the end of the walk so I was glad I got to enjoy that brief bit of sunlight whilst it lasted. What the photos don't show is the strong and very cold wind blowing up here, it made my eyes water!

I really didn't want to go outdoors after work this afternoon, but as always, I was glad I did. Hair a bit wilder, face frozen but I definitely arrived  home with brighter eyes and a bushier tail! I got home with more energy than I had before the walk :)

I'm working again tomorrow but am hoping to finish a little earlier to give me a little more time to get out afterwards ... finish time is flexible according to what happens on the day so we'll see.