Mad March days

Yesterday was bright and fresh, even the occasional dark clouds seemed to shine, and if they threatened rain they didn't deliver. We packed the first picnic of the year and took Sue for a walk up Weardale.

We wanted a route that we knew would work, so we chose a walk we've done before, most recently last August, when the heather was in bloom. There aren't many wild flowers out yet, a few celandines and one unrxpected patch of white violets, but there were daffodils everywhere along the roadsides.

This map shows yesterday's route; the only real difference from last time is that instead of coming back down into the valley through fields, we followed the lane past the farms of High, Middle and Low Fawnlees (hone of this weathervane) and finally the rather splendid Fawnlees Hall - a marginally longer route, but not as taxing.

And home, feeling very pleased with ourselves.