10.30 am and the heat coming off the stonework of the old bridge as I cross the lake is palpable, I love the sun but will be thankful to get off the track and into the cool green of the woods.
A brief but hot climb up the hill along the farm track and the greenwood offers a welcome.
I'm headed for a favourite view point and brew spot, it's out in the sun but shade is close by if I need to retreat. On leaving the wood and crossing open pasture land I found the remains of a Magpie, which in my experience is not common, at least as a Predator kill. Road killed Magpies or those shot as pests I've seen plenty, but Magpies are in my opinion the most wary of the common Corvid family and don't often get ambushed on the ground, especially in the open.
In many places on this pasture the Vipers Bugloss blooms every year, and I managed to capture what I believe is a Six Spot Burnet Moth feeding on one of the plants.
Cutting through a narrow path to my brew spot gives a brief bit of shade and shows the lovely Rosebay Willow Herb which colours the woods here.
Pack for the day is my modified LK35. I find it very comfortable with the added hip belt and the air space created by the external frame is a bonus on a hot day like today. As always it's loaded with 'Just in case' for an overnighter and unfortunately, today, about 3 tons of water plus various items of grub I found lurking in the fridge.
The distant lake looks like green Porridge cooking gently in the heat. The hot Summer has caused rampant weed growth and the Swans and other water birds are almost walking around instead of swimming..
Over 50 years ago I was an AB in a small 600 ton coasting vessel. The Master was a 5 foot 3 inch tall County Cork man of vast sea going experience. As hard as nails and a wonderful story teller too. He found out I had a passion for sailing vessels, proper sailing vessels of the wind ship days and he told me of his early teens spent in wind driven Baltic Traders in the 1920's. Timber cargoes from Finland and surrounding countries across to Hull and other East coast ports. Winter crossings of the North Sea with blown out sails and shifting cargo, just hoping the Steam Tug coming out from the Humber would find them before they ended up as match wood on Spurn Head.
He also taught me coastal navigation and dozens of seafarer's knowledge rhymes.
" When a red and green light you see right ahead, starboard your helm and show them your red "
" If upon your port hand is seen a steamer's starboard light of green, there is nowt for you to do as it's his duty to keep clear of you"
(Rules to prevent collisions at sea)
The old boy has finally cracked up in the heat, what's this got to do with a day out for a brew...!!!
Well, I also learned weather rhymes which may just help if you are caught out on the hills or anywhere while camping or just doing Bushy things, and I even managed some photos today to illustrate what I am ranting on about...
Ok, " Mackerel skies and Mares tails make tall ships carry low sails"
Mackerel skies...
Not much showing yet, but the Cirro cumulus or Alto Cumulus clouds that look like the Fishes scales and denote high Atmospheric pressure waves.
And Mares Tails..
Cirro Uncinus, high altitude whispy clouds, very cold -50 C perhaps.
I had forgotten and had to look up the proper names for the different clouds, but after 50 plus years I still remember their significance when seen together.
Laying in the hot sunshine, barely a breath of wind swigging tea today I looked up and saw the clouds I have photographed, and remembered old Capt. Ryan, " Listen laddie, Mackerel skies..."
By the time I was ready to leave this afternoon, the sky had clouded over and a stiff South westerly was setting in. Nothing drastic but enough to raise white caps on the inshore waves and a clouded over sky.
If you compare this last photo with the earlier one of the weed grown lake, you will see the weather change as I did this afternoon. Still hot but I walked home under cloudy skies with a blustery breeze blowing over the hot land.
Perhaps further offshore out in the Irish Sea or down in the Western Approaches someone else knew the rhyme and was reefing down, just in case. But more likely his weather radar and Satelite weather forecasting gizmo had already told him before he bothered to do anything so outdated as to look at the sky...
A brief but hot climb up the hill along the farm track and the greenwood offers a welcome.
I'm headed for a favourite view point and brew spot, it's out in the sun but shade is close by if I need to retreat. On leaving the wood and crossing open pasture land I found the remains of a Magpie, which in my experience is not common, at least as a Predator kill. Road killed Magpies or those shot as pests I've seen plenty, but Magpies are in my opinion the most wary of the common Corvid family and don't often get ambushed on the ground, especially in the open.
In many places on this pasture the Vipers Bugloss blooms every year, and I managed to capture what I believe is a Six Spot Burnet Moth feeding on one of the plants.
Cutting through a narrow path to my brew spot gives a brief bit of shade and shows the lovely Rosebay Willow Herb which colours the woods here.
Pack for the day is my modified LK35. I find it very comfortable with the added hip belt and the air space created by the external frame is a bonus on a hot day like today. As always it's loaded with 'Just in case' for an overnighter and unfortunately, today, about 3 tons of water plus various items of grub I found lurking in the fridge.
The distant lake looks like green Porridge cooking gently in the heat. The hot Summer has caused rampant weed growth and the Swans and other water birds are almost walking around instead of swimming..
Over 50 years ago I was an AB in a small 600 ton coasting vessel. The Master was a 5 foot 3 inch tall County Cork man of vast sea going experience. As hard as nails and a wonderful story teller too. He found out I had a passion for sailing vessels, proper sailing vessels of the wind ship days and he told me of his early teens spent in wind driven Baltic Traders in the 1920's. Timber cargoes from Finland and surrounding countries across to Hull and other East coast ports. Winter crossings of the North Sea with blown out sails and shifting cargo, just hoping the Steam Tug coming out from the Humber would find them before they ended up as match wood on Spurn Head.
He also taught me coastal navigation and dozens of seafarer's knowledge rhymes.
" When a red and green light you see right ahead, starboard your helm and show them your red "
" If upon your port hand is seen a steamer's starboard light of green, there is nowt for you to do as it's his duty to keep clear of you"
(Rules to prevent collisions at sea)
The old boy has finally cracked up in the heat, what's this got to do with a day out for a brew...!!!
Well, I also learned weather rhymes which may just help if you are caught out on the hills or anywhere while camping or just doing Bushy things, and I even managed some photos today to illustrate what I am ranting on about...
Ok, " Mackerel skies and Mares tails make tall ships carry low sails"
Mackerel skies...
Not much showing yet, but the Cirro cumulus or Alto Cumulus clouds that look like the Fishes scales and denote high Atmospheric pressure waves.
And Mares Tails..
Cirro Uncinus, high altitude whispy clouds, very cold -50 C perhaps.
I had forgotten and had to look up the proper names for the different clouds, but after 50 plus years I still remember their significance when seen together.
Laying in the hot sunshine, barely a breath of wind swigging tea today I looked up and saw the clouds I have photographed, and remembered old Capt. Ryan, " Listen laddie, Mackerel skies..."
By the time I was ready to leave this afternoon, the sky had clouded over and a stiff South westerly was setting in. Nothing drastic but enough to raise white caps on the inshore waves and a clouded over sky.
If you compare this last photo with the earlier one of the weed grown lake, you will see the weather change as I did this afternoon. Still hot but I walked home under cloudy skies with a blustery breeze blowing over the hot land.
Perhaps further offshore out in the Irish Sea or down in the Western Approaches someone else knew the rhyme and was reefing down, just in case. But more likely his weather radar and Satelite weather forecasting gizmo had already told him before he bothered to do anything so outdated as to look at the sky...
