Striding out

We were supposed to do the Copper Snout walk today with Katy and Colin but they had the Pfizer jab on Friday (age 60 getting done here now) and felt rubbish yesterday so thought it best to stay at home.

We decided we have a change and drove about 8 miles to South Middleton and took the moorland track. It inclines quite gently across the grouse moor then turns west so that we were facing the SE flank of Cheviot (2700ft approx), in the blip. There’s still a bit of snow hanging on. The larks with singing as were the peewits. The grouse were sending out their warning cries and we even found a marshy bit full of frogs. Every 100 yards or so was a metal box containing what we assumed to be rat poison - to protect the grouse chicks.

It was a gorgeously warm day. It felt all of the 6 miles as we tramped back down a rocky track. ( I had been awake a few hours last night)

Roz called round with some artichokes. I was shocked to hear she’d spend Friday in hospital having had a mild stroke. She couldn’t speak and her eyes went funny. It must have been very frightening. She was impressed with the hospital where she had MRI scans and blood tests. She’s on blood thinners and statins.

Life is so edgy and precarious. Live for now people.