Not much to report really with the weather being indifferent (rain and murky). However woke up this morning to a beautiful clear sunny bright morning. Unfortunately have to work all day so I am not going to be able to walk. But the weekend is nearly here.

A photo taken from my bedroom window

Walked about 8 miles today in freezing conditions. Countryside still looks good though with frost on the ground. Saw the animal below at a distance initially thought it was the notorious wild cat of the Cotswolds, but as you can see looks like a poodle!

Went down into the National Trust owned watermeadows at Sherborne where there were rabbits aplenty. Also falcons, red kites and buzzards could be seen.



Returning via Great Rissington saw these fellows in a field and although they would not look at me created quite and noise.

Meanwhile in the adjacent field these two could not have cared less.

To round off the walk this little primrose was showing its head

The New Year Ramble

Jenny and myself went for a walk around Cold Aston and Notgrove on Saturday 7th. It was a bright and windy day and we set off from the village of Cold Aston walking initially on road before diverting through woodland. After a mile or so we were on a ridge and spotted from about 300 yards a pig in a field. A BIG field!

We had a few minutes with the pig (seemed to be a cross between a pot bellied and Gloucestershire Old Spot) I later found out his name was Bumble. We continued up the other side of the valley only to be alerted to the sound of the hounds charging through the valley

The sight of the hounds and horses is always a wonderful thing. We could hear the dogs barking and the horses clip clopping on the road for about 20 minutes afterwards. Something about that noise...

Our walk continued on the road between Notgrove and Turkdean and about an hour after seeing the hunt they suddenly reappeared.

Soon after leaving the road we were back in open countryside and we saw Buzzards and Red Kites.