Another Wet Day

Wednesday, August 5

Still raining when we got up, as it did on and off all day, we were not in a hurry to go out, Nor did we really know where to go. Pam then spent some time net-wafting at escapee moths in the living room. Because of the rain, we empty the trap in the porch, living area door firmly closed. Despite this, ghostly shadows flit about every evening, mostly grass veneers. Some of the micros like the underfloor heating sections.

Not many moths this morning. The usual 20 Antlers, a battered Drinker, Straw Dot, Lesser Common Rustic (probably), an Ear species, Barred Straw, Flame Carpet, Silver Y amongst them.

Decision made, west coast. Only 27 miles to Carnforth.The latter is nostalgic for me as a stopping place at the 'best fish and chip shop in England', on the way for a climbing weekend in the Lakes. My fishcake was a novel slice of cod sandwiched between two fat slices of potato, dipped in batter.

Soon after turning west off the A65 we found a road closed sign without previous warning. The flooded dip below held a marooned car, a police car guarding the road beyond. It was only a short way back to a road which rejoined our route beyond the flood.

Waw, it did rain last night. Gawping at the floodplain below the road, we came to a bridge over the river Lune with a parking aarea beyond. I got out to take a few photos.

Frustratingly, Carnforth is at the moth of an estuary but we couldn't get down to it, nor park overlooking the water. We drove on to Silverdale, surprisingly passing Leighton Moss RSPB reserve. Pam had investigated the website a day or so ago as we'd enjoyed our previous visit with Carl in February 2016. Shop and centre closed, the trails not accessible to us. We investigated to make sure, before driving on to Silverdale, near the mouth of the river Kent. We eventually found a parking place, sitting riverside to enjoy a late lunch.

The tide was fully in. As it started to race out, I scoped the far mud finding at least 30 Curlew. A Cormorant flew by, Oystercatchers kleeped overhead and a damp Jackdaw looked for crumbs beside the car.

The river is crossed by an extensive railway bridge, this goods train was irresistible.

The SatNav took us a much shorter way back to the A65, beside the Kent, with much better parking and viewing possibilities - if we'd only known.

Our cottage is three and a half miles off the A65 west of Settle.Making the final approach along a rough, grass-centred track through a cattle field, we spotted a Brown Hare feeding beside the track. It lolloped to the driver's side of the car where I was able to photograph its front half. Remarkably confiding for a, usually, very wary and shy animal.

The cattle can be a pain. Young bullocks and heifers, it's not unusual to find them on the track, They don't move when we approach. Yesterday, one of them stood gazing into the car , almost touching the bonnet. They don't belong to our farm but the sheep surrounding us do. This is our cottage from the approach road. You'll have to imagine the vista beyond, now veiled by mist, rain and cloud.