Sun and spire

My first sunset blip of the year, and the first that doesn’t feature Toff. She’s still in season, so we are walking her in a field well away from other dogs, and then I go for my usual walk up the hill. Hopefully in a week or so, she can join me for a longer walk.

Today I was glad she wasn’t with me, since I met the local hunt as I went up Worsendale. The extra shows the hounds trying to negotiate a high wooden fence out of the Highland field, onto the road and then up onto the hilltop. Most of them scrambled over the fence, a few managed to squeeze themselves between the bars of the fence, and the last couple I opened the gate for. The huntsmen were nowhere to be seen at this point. Hunting foxes with hounds became illegal in 2005, but it carries on with legal loopholes. It’s not for me, though I can see that riding in pursuit across country will be very exciting for a keen horserider.

During my walk I crossed paths with the hounds on several occasions, there was no sign of a fox. Which I was relieved by as I had seen one a few days ago in the area where I first saw the hounds today.

Anyway, the main photo was taken in one of my favourite places to see the church spire against the winter sunset. The hounds were being gathered on the hillside to my left, and we crossed over one final time as I came down to the beck just outside the village.

As for Toff, she’s doing well and growing in confidence each day. For the first time today we left her for over an hour in the car outside the village hall while C was teaching her Tai Chi class, she didn’t woof, and she settled down to sleep. She still won’t jump into the car without leaping straight out again, but we shall encourage her every day, and soon she’ll do it.