Sunday 17 March 2013

A Surprise Journey

Far be it from me to wish an early death on a sheep. but as the farmer found a sheep dead by the midden this morning we had an unexpected journey to Hawes to the owner of the sheep to take the body.

The temperature was at best 3.5 but already the motor bikes and caravans are beginning to appear on the road through the Dale and coming back a sports car rally meant that beautiful low slung brightly coloured cars passed us for much of the journey.  So we did not go quite as fast as the farmer usually does.

However, he gives no quarter (nor does he expect it) so any photographs I took were quick shots taking pot luck.

There is still snow on the tops although the roads themselves are drier than they have been for a long time.   There was blue sky and as usual the views were beautiful.

The rather dull shot shows Addlebrough (snow covered), the flat topped hill in the background and to the right of the shot (I told you he gave no quarter).   It is a sobering thought that there was a Bronze Age fort on the top of Addlebrough and an old cairn on the top may well be the burial place of Authulf, the chief from whom the hill gets its name.  All I could think of as it looked at it was how jolly cold it must have been to live up there in those times - although I suppose it was the price you paid for the safety of being able to see anyone from miles away if they were coming to attack you.   The Romans lived up here too.



Very few lambs about yet - just a field here and there.   But the farmer did stop in a lay by so that I could take this delightful little lamb getting a better view by standing on its mum's back.  The sheep is a mule - a cross breed of a Swaledale and a Blue faced Leicester.   When they start off so pretty, why do they eventually become such ugly things (but maybe you could say that about everything, including us).  

14 comments:

Heather said...

Not ugly Pat - just different! Beautiful views as always but the snow on the tops reminds me of how cold it can be 'up North'! I have become softened by living in the south and remember noticing a big difference when we moved from Cheshire to Devon one winter back in the 60s.

Dave King said...

I agree with Heather: not ugly at all. The usual wonderful collection of images (in spite of the farmer giving no quarter), both in the photographs and the text.

Gwil W said...

A lovely landscape.

ArtPropelled said...

:-) Perhaps the lamb was keeping its feet warm.

Joanne Noragon said...

Just look where that gamboling landed the little fellow.

angryparsnip said...

Awwww I love the lamb up on his Mums back. Smart little fellow.
And I rather like the Mum's face, reminds me of an African Ibex.

cheers, parsnip

Bovey Belle said...

Nice that you had an impromptu outing (perhaps not so nice for the sheep concerned though!) Nice views, and we have snow on our biggest hills too (well, Brecon Beacon mountains really.)

We have a few more lambs about than in your area - one farm starts lambing around Christmas here and I see their first lambs out at the turn of the year.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Great trip - love the photo of the lamb on the mama's back.

Cloudia said...

Scathing final line after an event-filled passage . . . . like LIFE!




ALOHA from Honolulu
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Rachel Phillips said...

I like the expression "gives no quarter". It is not one you hear in South Norfolk.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for calling. The weather is much worse today with snow falling and a bitter wind blowing - who would live in the Northern hills in this weather?

Crafty Green Poet said...

oh what a lovely photo of the lamb!

Dartford Warbler said...

Beautiful skies and cold hills. I love the lamb mountaineering on its mother`s back!

A said...

Great shots, I wish I could see that landscape in person.