We continued ambling through the spring time woods and fields of the Erme and Plym Valley. The flowers in the hedgerow were a picture and we found a delightful lunch spot on the edge of the Plym in the sunshine. Our walk talk us onto Ivybridge and then a long climb up onto Dartmoor where the original Two Moors Way began. The landscape and walking conditions change dramatically at this point and there is barren and lonely moor ahead. We walked along the Red Lake Railway track for 6 miles. Fortunately it was a still and sunny day so the walking was not difficult and we soon found ourselves descending to the Clapper Bridge and crossing the River Avon. We passed Huntingdon Cross, a 16th Century Boundary Stone marker and eventually arrived into the pretty quiet village of Holne to a very welcome cup of tea, awaiting us in the car. 4 tired dogs and 4 weary walkers but it had been a splendid walk, with spectacular views and challenging terrain which we encountered with little difficulty.

It all began over a jolly supper, around the kitchen table with great friends. We regularly walk together on Dartmoor and thought the Two Moors way would be a perfect challenge! We bought a book written by Sue Viccars with all the information we could possibly need, with each section carefully divided into manageable distances. Finally today after juggling cars between Yealmpton and Wembury, and making sure the tea and cake was in the right car, we arrived at Wembury Beach to begin the walk. The first stumbling point was to discover that the Coffee shop on The Beach did not open until 11am! We waited in the sunshine and the dogs played on the beach and then refreshed with a good cup of coffee and a chocolate brownie, we were off on Stage 1 of our 117 mile walk to Lynmouth. The original Two Moors Way claims to be 102 miles, but we began at the sea where the route has been extended using the  Erme Plym Trail enabling us to walk from coast to coast. It was a lovely spring day and the sun was shining as we walked along paths edged with daffodils and primroses, violets and sorrel . We passed through copses and woodland carpeted with wild garlic and along quiet lanes with banks of spring flowers emerging.  We stopped for our picnic lunch sitting on the bridge at the head of tidal Cofflette Creek. It was a delightful spot to enjoy our much needed lunch. We finished our day at Yealmpton and a welcome cup of tea and fruit cake feeling very pleased with ourselves that we had completed our first day and look forward to the next one. It  will be a similar walk, before we head off onto open moorland with a challenging route to navigate.

Very Poor Taste.

What is the world coming to – I heard on the radio today that you can now by a fifty shades of grey baby changing mat …… how horrible!  What ever next! It matches the red fluffy hand cuffs for valentines day discussed on You and Yours today. It was suggested that they would be better used as rather vulgar coasters to put your valentines cocktail glass in! I find it rather disturbing.

I have been laid low with a flu bug so the radio has been my companion  today.  I have heard a lot of interesting snippets,one of which were the cliff carvings of four US presidents in South Dakota, they are incredible and worth googling. Now, is the ghastly Rob Titchener finally going to get his comeuppance in the Archers? Can Helen not realise that her mind is gradually being taken over by the man in her life? I read an article in the newspaper the other day mourning the loss of the old Archers and the new story line that seems to be becoming less and less plausible . Surely Ruth and David cannot leave Ambridge, that is where the Archers live! The pleasure of listening is being greatly diminished by the Eastenders type of story line. I hope before long it returns to the everyday story of country folk that we all knew and loved.

.

My family of guinea fowl are causing me a lot of angst at the moment, most particularly the lady one. She has decided to take against the 5 star accommodation provided and  would prefer to head for a tree at night and take a gamble on surviving until morning. The three gentlemen, hop into bed at night, and find their slot on the step ladder that straddles the beams in the barn, and Mrs G F teeters on the doorstep until she can bear it no longer and then runs off to the apparent comfort of her tree where she has no shelter from the rain, and is just as likely to be blown from her roost by the current winds and the gales .  The plaintive and persistent call that is unique to the female of the species endlessly draws at my heart strings, while I can do nothing to entice her to safety.It is quite extraordinary and I anticipate sadness before too long. They are very peculiar creatures as they peck around the orchard they are a charming asset and provide great pleasure to me, but they do have some strange and wondrous habits. At the sound of danger, they gather in a formation and run at the apparent hazard for a bold second, and then flee making a cacophony of noise that is designed to cause terror to any predators. They are beautiful to watch and I do so enjoy having them around, but I fear for Mrs G F.

I have intended to begin a blog for a long time. there are so many things I hear and read that inspire me to put pen to paper so my first New Year’s resolution has been realised! so …..Happy New Year to everyone, and I hope we all have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2015. now all the festivities are over, we can all get back to normal and pick up where we left off in the middle of December. Now my first comment of the day is the surprise that all Radio 4 listeners have no choice but to listen to 10hours of War and Peace. a commendable work to listen to, but surely over a few days serialised,  in chunks would be preferable. I will listen to Feedback with interest. I hope that a slot for the Archers is allowed!