A rare day off

The new job I'm now doing usually precludes me walking, as I work weekends. However, I DO get Tuesdays off, so this week, Sue & I decided to get out. The previous week had seen a perfect day, but we had other things to do. This week, we promised ourselves a walk, and so we got out as soon as we could. Although visibility wasn't perfect, I decided to go up on the edges. Baslow, Curbar and Froggatt, to be precise. We drove the ten minutes from Bakewell to Bubnell and parked up.

The sight that met us was a load of ducks sitting on a stone wall. Like a real life shooting range!

Anything off the top shelf, sir!

One good shot along this line would take out several at once!
(The only shots I fire though, are with my camera).

This friendly cat didn't seem to bother the ducks.
They seemed to live side by side in harmony.

So, off we set, up past the golf course, and through this gate to the first edge, Baslow.

The obelisk on the top there is Wellingtons monument.

There is also one to Nelson on another edge.

As we walked forward, we got this lovely view of Curbar edge, where we were heading.

Here's Sue, standing on the edge.

Then she decided to sit down - slacker!

I was a bit more adventurous!

It was around this time that we decided to stop for lunch. We rested against one of the large rock formations, with the sun beating down on us. I couldn't believe this was a FEBRUARY sun, as it was so warm and strong! I even ended up a bit red-faced as I caught the rays - totally unexpected!

Although a lovely, sunny day, it WAS quite cold out of the sun, as the surrounding water courses proved;

The sun through the trees was wonderful. The woods were really etherical in this light.

This was the unfortunate result of some recent high winds.

What a shame two such stoic things, the tree and the wall, were both destroyed.

As we dropped off the last edge, we looked across to Grindleford church.

Look at this for an inviting path through Horse Hay coppice.

These flag stones were laid for the pack horses.

Another break Sue????

Looking back across the fields.

We then came to the river, a complete paradox in views, but just as beautiful, in different ways.

Froggatt bridge.

This was an early daffodil, on the verge of opening

This one was fully open, and what a lovely sight.

As you would expect, the snowdrops were well advanced and, along this bank, in great profusion.

A close study of them.

Towards the end of the walk, evidence of just how low the temperature still was, for anywhere out of the sun's caress.

No warming rays for this poor plant, not yet anyway.

One final look back along the river in the evening light before making our way home. The end of a very rewarding day. I'd forgotten just how good it was to stretch my legs and get my boots on. Today was a great reminder.