Monday 7 October 2013

Tess's first sight of the sea.

Tess is four and a half years old but has never been to the seaside.   Yesterday we had to return my heart contraption to Middlesbrough and as that is almost on the coast we decided to pack a picnic lunch, take Tess and go on to the seaside.

An easy journey along the A174; we turned a corner and there - spread out in front of us - was the vast expanse of the sea.   Wonderful.   I love the sea and haven't seen it since going to Norfolk in May.

We turned down into a tiny side road to Runswick Bay which we reasoned would probably be less crowded than other places along that coast.   And we were right.   Going down the hill to the sea we spotted a place in the Car park immediately and moved into it.
 
There were few people on the beach, the tide was out and there was sand for Tess to run on.   She was so excited, running here and there, jumping up in the air, greeting other dogs.   Finally she dashed into the sea, gave a yelp and dashed out again!   She tried a drink, visibly shuddered and ran back to us.  
 
We ate our salmon sandwiches and our kit-kats and crisps here, drank our coffee and then decided to come home through the North York Moors National Park - that vast wilderness with incredible views, which a fortnight ago would have purple with heather.

Eventually we reached the top of Sutton Bank, where the Hambledon Hills fall away suddenly to the plain below.  Here, at the National Park Centre, we stopped and had another walk, coming back along the edge, with fantastic views over the plain and also of Lake Gormire.   The farmer loves this view as all the farming is laid out in front of us.   It is a good time of year to view the land as (hopefully) most of the farming jobs are done for the year.   The fields are harvested, the grass is cut and gathered in, the hedges are trim, the fields are ploughed and often sown with next year's crop.

We arrived home at half past four tired but happy after an enjoyable day out, but keeping awake through Strictly, Country File and Antiques Road Show was extremely difficult.  Tess slept through the lot!


17 comments:

MorningAJ said...

Don't tell anyone - but there are amazing bilberries along the edge of that escarpment. We used to go picking there when I was a youngster. I love that view.

Heather said...

Your photos are wonderful and the views spectacular. What a beautiful county Yorkshire is, and with such diverse scenery. Your chore of returning your 'contraption' to the hospital resulted in a lovely day out. Glad Tess enjoyed herself too.

Elizabeth said...

What a terrific outing!
Buster envies Tess as he is 4 and a half and has NEVER seen the sea.

The photo of the fields from above reminds we of the view from the Malvern Hills towards Bredon -a splendid vista of wonderfully rich farmland.

Pondside said...

That's a beautiful view of the farms - I'd want to pause for a while too.
Our Cairn, Rory, loves the ocean and gets very excited when he smells it. He knows he's in for a long walk and a splash.

mrsnesbitt said...

Pat - amazing coincidence - just returned from a morning walk from Runswick Bay!!!!! Photos will be coming soon. One of my Slimming world gals was brought up round here so knows all the hidden walks. Had a great walk and Bing is sleeping as we speak!

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Spectacular views and a fabulous day - I love days like that.

Anonymous said...

Lovely views!

Willow said...

What a beautiful countryside !
Wonderful pictures.
You had asked about the cranberry harvesting photos ( I didn't forget :) .
Best way to explain would be to have you refer to a cranberry harvesting Massachusetts article online or better yet a Cranberry Harvesting you tube video .
Some farmers do dry picking , most now do the flooded bog picking I showed in my post.

Hildred said...

A wonderful outing, - one to cherish and deposit in the memory bank.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

I still get excited by that first glimpse of the sea - and I'm certainly no puppy!

Tom Stephenson said...

Lovely.

angryparsnip said...

I miss living by the ocean. My Scotties never liked the water.
What wonderful photo and I agree with farmer that is a beautiful view !

cheers, parsnip

Granny Sue said...

lovely photos! I so enjoyed rambling a bit with my cousin John (Stargoose and Hanglands) when we were over there last week. I am already longing to return.

Em Parkinson said...

The water isn't for everyone as Snippet will tell you!

The Weaver of Grass said...

There is no air quite like the sea air is there? I sometimes wish that I lived by the sea but friends who did live there for some years said that you become so familiar with it that you rarely go down to walk by it. Sad really, but glad you all accompanied me in spirit.

Crafty Green Poet said...

glad you all had a nice day out.

By the way thanks for your comment on my blog, yes there are ravens in Scotland, even in Edinburgh, though here they're pretty elusive most of the time and hide in the hills

thelma said...

There are times when I miss the sea, especially at Whitby, the air is so wonderful and calming.