An icy winter stroll - 23 Jan 07

[Strix 11]

I just needed to blow away the cobwebs, so attired my favourite beagle in his best 'getting muddy' collar, threw a towel in the boot, and set in search of the one missing element for a good walk... a friend

 

Having collected said friend en-route, we had a leisurely drive up to Totley, where we found out exactly how icy a draining field can make a road just after we'd got far enough down a lane not to be able to come back!

 

We progressed slowly and gingerly down the steep lanes, stopped to drop off some fuzzy people at a very nice hotel in the area, and took the car for a sledge ride down Penny Lane to the cricket

 

Having established that leaving the area was going to prove futile for the immediate future, and that the strong smell of bleach did indeed mean that the pub was not yet open, we released the hound, and set off back the way we'd just sledged, admiring the damage we'd done to the ice by sliding an mpv over it slowly and carefully

 

Said hound had gone into overdrive in snuffle mode, so it was established that the safest way to progress was to let him carry his lead, so neither of us got the chance to sample beagle ice skiing

 

The going looked fairer up Strawberry Lee Lane than it did up Bents Road, so we climbed that in the morning sunlight, stopping every 50 yards or so to admire the emerging view of Sheffield, picking out 'those flats' and the Norton Water tower, and contrasting the landscapes in such a short distance of travel. We did a spot of tunnel shaft spotting, and admired the spoil heap resulting from the tunnel construction - a strangely steep and angular mound in contrast to the rolling form of the landscape in this area

 

We eventually came to a fork, and followed our feet to the left and upwards. Plan abandoned!!! It was far icier than it looked, and even the four paw drive member of the team was struggling for grip! We took the right fork instead, passing through a newish gate, and into the sort of leafy canopied lane that provokes people to paint

 

Our progress was accompanied by the musical babbling of the brook, as the sunlight played though the branches of the trees and glistened off the icy bejewelled - well everything really We rounded a bend to see a small bridge perfectly framed by the woodland about us, and beautifully lit in shafts of the bright and blueish sunlight only found on January mornings

 

We stood on the bridge over the brook a while and listened to it's tuneful raison d'etre, enjoying the calm and the cold, and restraining the scent hound from exploring too far down the steep embankment, before checking the time and estimating the likelyhood of the bar being open upon our return if we headed back now

 

The weak winter sun was making a concerted effort to melt the hillside, and we trampled back though more water than on our outbound stroll, which gave us sounder footing for the journey back. The pub was now emitting a welcoming cloud of smoke from two chimneys... at least that's what we were hoping it was. We didn't have a plan B if the pub was on fire!

 

We :suspect:ed the 'no walking boots' sign on the door, and wiped our feet before entering and selecting a spot near the now blazing log fire, in the bay window soaking up the benefit of best of the sun. The cricket pitch was basking in sunlight, sparkling green against the backdrop of snow covered hills beyond

 

The Black Sheep was, as ever, a good pint - which just had to be followed by a second... then our friend suggested that perhaps it wasn't so essential to get back in such a haste, and we ordered two portions of chips and made ourelves even more comfortable

 

The beagle made the usual conversation starter with all three adjoining tables (by hunting stray chips under the tables ), and so pleasantries were exchanged with our new aquaintances

 

By the time we left, the skating rink had become a water feature and a pond, which we sailed carefully through, and escaped the steep Hillfoot Road without incident

 

Brude is now snoring loudly on the sofa beside me, with one ear draped across my keyboard

 

 

(Sorry, no pics)

[purdyamos 10]

We saw a talking wall! It's true!

 

I miss my fuzzy people...

[Strix 11]

Oh, I'd forgotten about that!

 

We thought we'd stumbled across somebody dry stone walling, couldn't see anybody actually working, but could hear a conversation

 

Upon further inspection we found a radio prattling away to itself

[fr8neck 10]

We saw a talking wall! It's true!

 

I miss my fuzzy people...

 

 

???!

[Strix 11]

We dropped her cats at the cattery up there

 

Can you sort your quote code out?

[fr8neck 10]

We dropped her cats at the cattery up there

 

Can you sort your quote code out?

 

How?

 

If I block a highlighted bit it goes to code and stops being all blue.

[fr8neck 10]

We dropped her cats at the cattery up there

 

Can you sort your quote code out?

 

Like this.......before it was corrected.

[medusa 16]

Ne'er mind- I did it for you fr8neck.

 

Sorry to dabble in the walking group- I was just passing at the right moment.

 

I also went out for icy walks Wednesday and Thursday- including walking with 2 little pooches round a pond that's frozen enough that there's a 'Do not walk on this ice' sign mounted on the ice, in the middle of the pond.

 

It has been such glorious winter weather that it's really hard to work out why more people aren't out there enjoying it.