Friendly cows

Before I went to Poland, I had arranged to do a walk with Fiona from the North Pennines AONB. We wanted to look at the route for The Creepy Crawl (a walk to see invertebrates and their habitats) for the Autumn Festival in October.

I decided that I could risk taking Aggie out and I packed my backpack with waterproof trousers and gaiters because showers were forecast. As I drove to Allendale I reassured myself that I had not forgotten anything. That was false reassurance. As I arrived the rain started and I discovered that my waterproof jacket was still at home.

I told Fiona who produced a small jacket that went nowhere near fitting me. So I high tailed it up the road to Catton to the house of my friends, Ann and Al. Al heard my plight and quickly kitted me out in his new golf jacket. It was only a bit big for me.

So the walk went ahead. It's a lovely route with lots of variation. There will be almost too much to see. We start in woods then go by the river to the ruins of the smelt mills. We will have coffee there and look at the overnight residents of a moth trap.

Further on by the river, we will dip for invertebrates in the water. It took me back to my time as an A level Biology student, studying caddis fly larvae!

We walked through Catton, then up onto the hills, with great views of the village and the valley. We will look at dung beetles here.

I loved the smell of the damp meadowsweet as we walked. There was a lot to see, even a few wild pansies in flower.

PS There are only 16 places and booking starts on August 14th!!)


Aggie behaved very well considering and has had an afternoon lying flat with an ice pack to help her to recover!!!

I was delighted to be out and about in the countryside I love.