Simon's Seat

A mixture of work and play today. The weather turned out much better than expected so I popped out on the bike late morning for a few hours. I've got signs that I'm coming down with a cold so I didn't push it too hard. After some some showery rain the mist cleared away in the afternoon to provide some great photo opportunities. The light was sensational when the sun appeared from behind the clouds. It hasn't been easy to choose which to post but after initially thinking another solitary tree would best fit the journal I have decided to go for colour - to help in this current process of staying as positive as I can. And this was very typical of the scenery I was passing through today.

Climbing out of Appletreewick, just over a mile across the fell from where this was taken, I cycled past a grouse shoot in progress. I saw one bird felled, to great cheers (which sickened me a little), and then saw another flushed out and taking to the air. A gun went off but the bird carried on flying away, almost directly over my head, to safety. I heard a shout of "bitch," presumably from the man who fired and missed. I know these birds wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for the fact that there are people who are willing to pay for the 'privilege' of killing them, but it was that lack of respect that upset me more than the shooting itself. To see that bird escape made me feel ridiculously happy. But I didn't hang around to cheer on any more. It looked like the odds were stacked against them.

Came across this animation tonight. It's awesome. Worth a minute of your time I'd say. One Minute Puberty.

And thanks guys. Again.