Schools Shut - Lets Go For A Walk

[Kepis]

As the boys school was shut today we decided at the last minute to go for a wander over the South Downs.

Heading out

Heading up the lane from home

we are heading towards the bottom of the big hill in the back ground which is called Cissbury Ring and is the site of Neolithic flint mines (you still find worked flint to this day) and an Iron Age Fort

Looking back towards home

one of the leccy pylons, the top section is covered in roosting Starlings, which until fairly recently were rare around here, now though the flocks have grown to a good size and every afternoon we are entertained with huge flocks of birds milling around the sky in huge black fluid formations

looking towards Cissbury

approaching heavy rain shower

thankfully it passed us by and went up the coast

this i didnt expect to see on the last day of November

anyone for a bonfire?, the result of some much needed hedge work on the Estate

trail side snack, very nice they were too, bought a few back home as well

one of the local Dew Ponds

Lunch on the go, spicy CousCous in the Swedish and a cuppa on the go in the Crusader

where we stopped for lunch, in the shelter of a small Yew wood, glad we stopped here for lunch, as it rained and the Yew trees kept the worst off of us, it was the only rain we encountered all day.

Looking out towards the farm

One of my sit trees, albeit a spring and summer one, it was a bit too windy and damp to sit under this today

some of the other locals

looking East, we walked up & along the big hill earlier in the day

Guess which way the blows from?

after this it was only about a mile to get home, we covered about 12Km and had a great time out and about, what with each others company and that of the Buzzards, Kestrels & Sparrow Hawks as well as the multitude of small birds and animals that were around us all day - wonderful.

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

Looks like a cracking day out and such a change to see the kids enjoying being out in the fresh air instead of sat in front of the TV.

Some great pics and thanks for sharing them.

 

[Bigrich]

We did the same, sadly no pics to show but took the dog and the boys along the lower ridge that runs alongside the Malverns, did result though in some interesting questions like, ''daddy what day did the earth start turning'' - not happy with my answer of Tuesday, but hey ho, came back rosey cheeks and a great appetite! What ever the reasons for the strikes and differing opinions, I was glad to be able to spend a whle day with all three kids : )

Rich

 

[wicca]

Another good day for the book of memories with the boys..

Cissbury Ring on a misty evening with failing winter light has an atmosphere which I shall long remember after stopping for a brew there once, on the way back East..

 

[Kepis]

cheers chaps, was great fun being out and about today, but, as eldest said "ive learnt more out here today than i would have done at school", that makes it worthwhile.

 

[havocsdad]

Looks like a great day, used to work arund there a lovely spot

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Nice photos & glad you all had a great day.............................
What's the water situation like on the Downs ?..I've heard that the south of England is suffering from drought.& even if it were to have an 'average' rainful over winter, it won't be enough to cover the needs of either agriculture or the enviroment for the following year.............................In France, 80% of the country is in a state of drought & with no serious rain on the horizon.

 

[Tank]

i read the post on your blog, and i had to take a double look at the title before i clicked on it at work lol

 

[Kepis]

Looks like a great day, used to work arund there a lovely spot

Whereabouts did you work?

 

[Kepis]

Nice photos & glad you all had a great day.............................
What's the water situation like on the Downs ?..I've heard that the south of England is suffering from drought.& even if it were to have an 'average' rainful over winter, it won't be enough to cover the needs of either agriculture or the enviroment for the following year.............................In France, 80% of the country is in a state of drought & with no serious rain on the horizon.

Cheers mate,

The water situation, well today it's not too bad as it's chucking it down and we have a small stream running down the road, but certainly the lakes i look after the levels are well down as are the reservoirs round here, it's par for the course i suppose, all it needs is people to be a little reasonable with their water usage, ie the guy over the road who washes his car four times a week and leaves the hose running while he's doing it, to my next door neigbour who fills the bath right up and everyone has a seperate bath, even the two boys (toddlers) have a bath on their own with fresh water each time, have they heard of a shower, mind you when water meters get fitted they might change their habits a bit.

What we want is a sustained period of gentle rain and it will all fill back up again fairly quickly,m i know speaking to a mate of mine at he Environment Agency their are talks with the water companies about increasing the abstraction levels from the rivers

 

[Kepis]

i read the post on your blog, and i had to take a double look at the title before i clicked on it at work lol

.

 

[Hugo]

Looks like you had a good Kepis, them apples look good, I'm just about out of cookers, might have to go for a bimble around Mouse lane.

 

[Kepis]

Looks like you had a good Kepis, them apples look good, I'm just about out of cookers, might have to go for a bimble around Mouse lane.

Twas a great day out, it was very much last minute decision to go otherwise i would have given you a shout to see if you wanted to come along for the day

 

[hog]

Nice pics as usual Mark, I take it your boys were the victims of the strike.

 

[Kepis]

Nice pics as usual Mark, I take it your boys were the victims of the strike.

Cheers mate, yep they were out because of the strike, thing is only 5 teachers went on strike at the school, but because of the distrupion caused by them they had little choice but to close it for a day.

 

[hog]

Pain in the rear sometimes, we were not affected here, in fact there were no strikes at all.
Ferrys cancelled now and all the shops have run out of stock, luckily we have been stock piling for nearly a year now.