Yorkshire Dales - walk around Muker (Old Norse for small cultivated field)

 I woke at 3am, 7am my time, and spent an hour talking myself into going back to sleep and listening to the river across the road, bubbling and babbling.

 

The view from my window in the morning. A little frosty overnight.

 I woke finally at about 9:30 and felt great, ready to tackle the world. Heather and Don had been up for a while and had found out that the village store was not open until later and the farm selling eggs didn't have any, so they begged sugar and milk from a neighbouring B and B. They had bought croissant and cheese from Paris, so that was breakfast.

We could not believe that we had been gifted with a beautiful sunny day. That was not forecast.

 

We walked up through the village

and followed a footpath sign out

 into the countryside.

The footpaths were well signed

and the first part had a narrow stone pathway with signs requesting that you walk single file to preserve that grass to be hayed for winter fodder.

I took nearly 150 pictures today and picking what goes on the blog is proving to be very difficult.

Everywhere we looked there were stone walls and little stone barns with the moors rising up behind.

Of course there were cattle,

sheep

and horses.

There are weeks worth of footpaths just around Muker and we are only here for 4 days.

Over a wooden bridge to the other side of the river

Female Chaffinch on the path. We also saw Red Kites soaring in the updrafts.

The path took us through gaps in the stone walls with wooden gates. They seemed to get narrower and narrower, perhaps expecting use to loose weight rapidly as we walked.

It rained all day yesterday on our drive from Manchester to the Dales and the walking was soft and the fields very green

but it is fall and the trees are starting to turn yellows and browns

and the Bracken is bronze.

Don providing an assist to Heather, getting over a stile.

We met a number of other walkers, some with dogs, some using phone apps to find the routes.

We just followed the well worn path and the signs,

walked out for an hour and then turned back.

We felt we deserved lunch at the tea room.

We had coffee, sandwiches,

scones with jam and clotted cream,

sitting outside, in the sun, with all the other walkers.

Although the village store had some interesting products (we bought a selection of Yorkshire brand crisps including roast lamb and mint flavoured) we did need to find a grocery store.

We took a jar of jam to the lady at the B and B who had generously given us milk and sugar. She was gardening, pulling up her Dalhia's to store for the winter and let us pick some of the flowers.

With me behind the wheel we headed over the Buttertub Pass to Hawes, where stocked up with breakfast and other staples.

Home and I took a short walk to get pictures of the river that I heard last night

and some of the distinctive local sheep.

Heather's TV. She had never experienced a front load washer before and was mesmerized, constantly checking on it.

Dusk and we headed to the pub. According to Don, our other accommodations are not as close to a pub so we are indulging ourselves in pub dinners while we are here.

Having eaten so much for lunch, I thought I would have a light supper, so ordered two appetizers. Well that didn't work put - mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce and potato skins with melted cheese and a salad was another huge meal.

On the way home... a beautiful night sky and, a first for me,

a hedgehog.