Welcome to February and a walk.

 

I always love a new month, they seem full of possibilities. Maybe a new project, new fabrics, visits to new places and of course celebrations. This February we can celebrate Chinese New Year on the 10th, Shrove Tuesday on the 13th (yummy pancakes), Valentines Day, the start of Lent on the 14th and, being a leap year, an extra day on the 29th. We will also celebrate Missy's 2nd birthday on the 11th. 

January has been fairly productive. I completed a baby quilt, I just need to stitch down the binding. I've made another quilt top which needs to be sandwiched ready for quilting. I completed the vine blocks for the dinosaur quilt and started a mystery quilt a long and a log cabin pillow. I also knitted the back of my cardigan up to arm holes. I'm rather pleased with my progress since work was busy, we had a trip to Slimbridge and a weekend away in Worcester. I also set my reading challenge for the year at 30 books. I need to read 2.5 books a month and in January I read 3, so I'm on target.

I said I'd tell you about our walk on Sunday. We planned to complete a circular walk starting and finishing at the main street of Elmley Castle and taking in the summit of Bredon hill.  The hill is home to Roman and Iron Age relics and standing stones and has inspired A E Houseman and Ralph Vaughan Williams. As we ascended the hill from the village we had great views across the area even though it was rather misty.

At the summit there is a tower known as Parson's Folly. It was built in the mid-18th century by John Parsons V (1732–1805), MP and squire of Kemerton Court. He is said to have built the tower to 39 feet tall to raise the summit of Bredon Hill to exactly 1,000 feet. The tower now houses communications equipment. The views were spectacular from the summit.

It was very windy at the top but the wind was doing a great job of blowing the mist away. The top of the stone in front of John had a topograph on it and we had fun identifying the distances to the local towns.

We started the descent going though a wooded area and then along the field margin until we can to this barn. The little dot on the top right hand of the roof was a kestrel. It didn't fly off until we were very close.

The barn had a sundial high up on the wall and this seemed to be the remnants of Sundial Farm.

We continued descending with sometimes a brief slope up

Towards the end of the walk there was a steep descent and we said goodbye to the views across the country.

Just before we arrived back in the village we went past this waterfall.

We came out at the church and we walked through the churchyard to get to the road. There was a beautiful drift of snowdrops.

Once back at the car we changed out of our hiking boots and visited the local pub for a drink and something to eat. John enjoyed the local beer and I had a pineapple juice since I was driving. Refreshed we set our route back to home and enjoyed an uneventful journey.

I didn't do any sewing when I got home today, instead I watched an updated version of an Agatha Christie murder on TV. Tomorrow is my none working day but I have an MRI of my abdomen so the plastic surgeon can check the blood flow is good enough to undertake my breast reconstruction. Once I get back home I am having a sewing day. I also need to think about my February projects.

Take care

Lyndsey