Three good days

      It was a week of frosty fields, snowy hills, some torrential rain interspersed by misty mornings and, when we were lucky, a bit of welcome sunshine. Instead of the usual four forays into the hills, inclement weather limited my runs to just three.

View from the kitchen window on Wednesday    (Click to enlarge pictures)

      I kept a wary watch for a rogue cow as I crunched through white fields on Tuesday. She was there but never lifted her head from the cold grass she was grazing as I swept by. 

Rogue beastie enjoying a cold breakfast   

      Blazing sunrise colours were glorious though somewhat brief as I circuited the hill with a buff pulled over my nose and mouth to warm the freezing air and wind chill before it hit my lungs.  Cold air on my chest usually triggers a fit of coughing, so after three miles I was sliding home to warm porridge, toast and coffee.

Goldfinches in the snowy garden

      Goldfinches usually join me for breakfast, up to half a dozen of them, no more than a couple of yards away on the seed feeders. They take me for granted, as anxious to tuck into their nyger seeds as I am to slurp my porridge, totally oblivious of my watchful eyes. I love their bright colours, particularly on drab and dreary days.

From my Study window - snow falling on Wednesday

      It snowed on Wednesday and rained heavily on Thursday so it was Friday before I ventured out into a clear dawn for another run. It was frosty and calm, but with none of Tuesday's wind chill to freeze my lungs.

Friday's sunrise

      "On mornings like this I could run forever" I said to a gentleman with two well behaved dogs - before a wave of embarrassment swept over me.  The gentleman was an amputee walking with the aid of crutches. Maybe I shouldn't have said that....

Feeling I could run forever

      Sunday dawned cold and reasonably clear as we drove a mile or two up the road for a run round Grimwith reservoir, scattering scores of pheasant and partridges foolishly strutting in the road.  It was hardly light as we locked the car and set off by the slutchy dam wall with the sky dawning red behind us.  Reds softened to yellows as daylight strengthened, imparting a surreal glow to the landscape.

Sunday's surreal early morning landscape

      Across the water drifted waking sounds of mallard, greylag geese and whistling teal while startled game birds rose noisily ahead of us as we ran. I picked up a plump partridge with a broken wing and enough meat on it for a tasty meal. But I hadn't the heart to kill it, so released it to its fate.

Sunrise runner

      "What's the betting we'll meet other runners" I said, "it's the daft sort of thing runners do at this hour of day".  Sure enough, not much later, a neighbour from the village came jogging towards us looking rather surprised at seeing us so early in the morning.

Dodging the puddles back o' Grimwith in breaking light

      After showering and breakfasting I'd ample time to get to Grassington for the Remembrance Day service in the Chapel.
Rev Mollie Greenwood led an excellent service to a smaller than usual congregation due, we suspected, because many were attending a larger service across the river at Linton Parish Church.

Holly berries to match Remembrance Day poppies

      After lunch it clouded over. We didn't care. We'd enjoyed a beautiful run, paid our respects to the fallen, so time to do what Sabbath days were made for - relax and rest from our labours. And that's exactly what we did.  Sort of......