Swans

On a walk this week along the canal I passed 2 swans who were clearly far more interested in potential prey in the water rather than the threat from a human, I was little more than 1 metre from them.

Still waters

To go with the post from the end of Jan of Macclesfield in the snow, here are a couple from this week where it feels as if Spring has nearly arrived.

Over the town

First thing in the morning is good for quiet walks, sometimes you get a sunrise but Monday was cloudy though with lockdown it was good to be out and enjoying the cold quietness.

View of St Paul's - it was the day the church remembers St Paul that day!

In a window

On alleged Bue Monday here's something to encourage, spotted this in a currently closed cafe on a walk

unfortunately, it has now gone, probably Christmas decorations, the words changed periodically. You may also spot me!

Across the car park

An early morning shopping trip produced these lovely winter colours in the snow and the unromantic surroundings of a supermarket car park.

November colours

A short walk at the weekend along a local canal and 2 pictures:

Love the way the heron and the houses in the background go together so beautifully, and one of those heron legs is actually something in the street behind. This photo was taken < 5 minutes from the local railway station.

By the canal

I've been walking most days during lockdown and the following restrictions, there's old railways lines - now footpaths - and a canal very close to home. Today a heron was gently swimming on the canal watching passers by closely but not being alarmed!

And one from a few weeks ago:

Dawn on the way to the station

I'm still doing some early mornings, usually catching the 7:30 train into work and sometimes the dawn is worth a picture!

I seem to have missed out on pictures during the cold spell!

Spring

In the current warm spell, many things are blossoming.

On the Canal

Last week was beginning to feel Spring like so we decided a lunch at the Vale Inn Bollington surrounded by a walk would be good. We walked there along the Middlewood way and back via the canal - part of the tow path is closed in Bollington so a diversion through an estate was necessary but on getting back to the canal we saw this: We were convinced, initially, that a barge owner had a very ornate bow decoration but then it moved, caught a fish and ate it in a nearby field.
I've just received the church walk schedule for the summer, I'm leading a walk ending up at the Vale so I think I'll need another reconnoitre!

Crocus

Crocus, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

It feels like spring is on the way - a view of our garden after lunch today. Another photo here

Leawood Pump House

..working harder, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

Yesterday, we walked around Cromford and visited the Leawood Pump House which used to transfer water from the Derwent to the canal back in the 19th century. The huge pump was working this weekend - one of the stationary engines was also going to be running today - so unfortunately we missed that. Photos of the day are in this flixkr album. It was an interesting visit in view of my having recently read Dickinson's Pauper's Gold where the heroine is born in Macclesfield and then enters servitude (well officially an apprentice) in a mill not too far from Cromford - it also functioned as a getting fit exercise before we go on a walking holiday!

Angels with bagpipes!

Angels with bagpipes!, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

I'm still in Edinbugh - at least for a few more days and this weekend got, at last, a chance to look around. This alley is just off the Royal Mile and the photo includes a self-portrait!

Sunset!

Sunset!, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

Another meal at the Metropole and then a walk down the hill to the hotel to this view!

View from the office

I'm currently working in Edinburgh and the office has long views over to the hills and Arthur's Seat. Here's a picture the scaffolding causes a certain amount of vibration - or there are workers on it even in high winds!

from the Old Park Gate

from the Old Park Gate, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

This week's walk was around the Peover Hall area ending up here at the Old Park Gate pub. The walks - or at least the photos I've taken of them are here. We've had a fine dry series of walks only one being rained on - this year they've alternated between Wednesday and Thursday and that helped (inadvertently?) to avoid the bad days. There's one more walk in the season though with the current good weather spell we're discussing extending the season a bit!

Gawsworth sunset

Gawsworth sunset, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

Last night's walk started from Gawsworth before looping over the railway and coming back over Danes Moss. Cotton, a heron and finally a sunset - in my view it's a rather atypical bit of country you expect the hills we had boggy ground and very flat. The album with the rest of the photos from last night is here.

View from the Edge

View from the Edge, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

Last week there was another All Saints' walk - and the evening turned out beautifully for a walk over Alderley Edge ending at the Wizard.

Sunset

Sunset, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

Earlier this week I led the church walk with a walk around Bollington from the Vale Inn. You'll find the flickr album of photos as the walking season progresses here. The Vale Inn sells a book of walks one of which we used - in a truncated form! You can see the full route and download a route card and a GPS file. We missed out the walk up to White Nancy (booo!) and did the walk in reverse cutting across to Ingersley Vale at around half way around - well it was the evening and we needed to get back to the pub for chips - which were enjoyed! The photo was taken from just beneath White Nancy. Our walk next week is on Wednesday (not Thursday!)

View from the Cloud

View from the Cloud, a photo by rajmarshall on Flickr.

New Year's Day and so a walk to get some much needed exercise - this year instead ogf Shutlingsloe we did the gentler Bosley Cloud. I don't think I've walked up Bosley Cloud since the 70's! Muddy and very breezy but good views from not too far from the road and then there was the fox we saw thinking about crossing the road on the way there...
A New Year - looking at last year - 128 - that's the lowest number of posts per year on this blog since 2005 - a lot of the smaller items go on twitter/facebook now but I need to work out a theme for a process of revival here!