Bugger!

Dear Ella,

Bugger!  Just back from a few days in the Derbyshire Hills - walking, resting, eating, drinking and laughing.  Such a good time and so therapeutic to physically walk till "I nearly drop" - and have such easy company to hand.  But "bugger" your still not here when I get home…….another shattering dose of reality.

The walking is made even better by the big open skies, the weather (sunshine and blue skies - through to blustery winds, drizzle and chilly mists - I like it all), the vistas and the names that tumble out of the mouths of the old timers -  "we'll cross the Kinder Plateau, missing Ringing Roger, skirt round Grindslow Knoll, drop down the Grindsbrook Clough and head for the Nags Head".  Pure poetry, mesmerising to listen to and so fortunate to just follow along.

I like being up high and notionally thinking that I might be a little closer to where you might be circling around. We rescued a lamb, counted baby ducks, admired the stone walls, found a cave that Robin Hood hid in (really!), scrambled up rocks, came upon an old millstone quarry, drank lots of cups of tea (and beer and wine), ate picnic lunches in sheltered spots, dreamt of doing up ruined houses, jumped over bogs (and into them at times), chatted and didn't chat - but mostly just kept moving - one foot in front of the other.  Therapy doesn't come much better than that.

Lots of love

Mum
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