All that walking in the cold and wet last winter paid off.

When I got up this morning it was dull and had obviously rained hard overnight. By the time I was putting boots on in the conservatory I could hear rain hammering on the glass roof but I went out anyway . One of my favourite shorter walks in the area and I enjoyed it even if the swirling cloud on the tops meant I did not get the best views. My gear is not wholly waterproof, but as long as I can keep moving I am OK (which is why I don't like group rambles so much, they are always stopping no matter the weather).

Later in the day F., G. and I drove a little further west and did another walk across the rolling hills and pastures, and the heavens opened several times on this one, plus we had to walk through deep crop and pasture which was thoroughly soaked, so we were too. The sun came out as we reached the end.