Water and Sky

Today has been wonderful, a very chilly early spring day full of sunshine and cold, still air. The daffodils in my neighbourhood have only just opened their petals, it's still remarkably cold here in Yorkshire and this morning we woke to a frosty landscape.

I enjoy my school run on days like this, enjoy the pleasure of being able to walk along the water's edge, dipping in and out of sunshine and shadow, feeling rather blissed out by the pure blue colour of the sky.

The stillness of the air makes the canal water so mesmerising, I can't help but stand and stare at it, drinking in it's very stillness and the wonder of reflections. The ducks bring me out of my daydream, swimming over to me and sending ripples across the surface of the water.

Today was certainly a day for being by water. J was home from work, Little B home from nursery, so despite the chill we decided to go on a little outing. Little B is just recovering from a weekend of sickness and his energy levels were a little bit lower than usual, so we chose somewhere for a gentle stroll.

This is Swinsty Reservoir, somewhere in the midst of deep countryside between the Yorkshire towns of Ilkley and Harrogate. It was the first time we've been here, although we have glimpsed it often from the main road up on the hill above.

The water was really hugely big! Compared to the little local reservoir that we usually walk round, this expanse of water felt ginormous. There were even little waves lapping in at the shore, and for a few very brief moments I felt as if I might possibly be beside the sea.

No seagulls though, but plenty of ducks. After a short stroll, Little B was wilting so we found a wooden picnic table in the sunshine and sat down for a rest. Fresh hot coffee from my favourite Contigo, and some little foil wrapped chocolate Easter eggs.

J had his heart set on a pub lunch, a bit of a treat to enjoy on his day off. Normally we are a family of modest picnickers, so pub lunches do feel quite extravagant. A nice treat though, especially when the pub in question is so good. That's where we went look, that building teetering on the edge of the hillside in the photo above. This is high up on Ilkley Moor at the Cow and Calf rocks.

After a lovely lunch in the warm and cosy pub, we went for a little bit of a wander on the moor. We took in the expanse of sky and enjoyed being buffeted by the rather brisk wind that was whipping around the rocks.

These rocks are sooooooo huge! Look at this picture of Little B running and you can get the scale of them. It makes me want to hug them and run away from them all at once.

The views from up here are tremendous, it's a very high-up place indeed. I am SO glad I live where there are hills. I absolutely love love love to be up high and take in a view, one of the reasons we moved here from the Vale of York (which is flat as a pancake with zero hills)

It was a good day, a day of still waters and beautiful skies. And now I can't stop singing "On Ilkley Moor Baht 'at" over and over, and wishing very, very much that I wasn't. Go away, silly song, you may leave my brain now, Thank you.

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ps for those of you who don't know this famous Yorkshire anthem, there is an explanation here, and some vocals here. Darn it.

 

♥...more little snippets from the Attic...♥

Sociable Crochet :: Part II

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Comments

[Katie B]

I'm a Contigo convert too - have the pink too. Spooky. Lovely walkies.
Sending lots of love,
Katie B xxx

[Christine]

What a beautiful place you live. It feels steeped in history, so many stories those places could tell. I come from a very young place - New Zealand.

[JARDIN ANGLAIS]

Thank you for sharing such lovely pictures of England with us and with me, a french woman so fond of your coutry! May you and your family have a nice day! Evelyne

[Edwina]

Being Yorkshire born and bred I know all the words to Ilkley Moor and no doubt it will be buzzing round in my head all day now too. Thank you....not, as they say these days! If it isn't that song, it will be 'Putting on the Ritz' which features on a television advert at the moment and is also stuck on a loop in my head.

[Jenny]

Oh Lucy! Thank you thank you. I love being with you on your days out! I love where you live and go. It's good for the soul to realize just how small we are in the big picture (rocks, hills,water....vastness). My dad was from Yorkshire and he knew all the words to "On Ilkley Moor Baht'at" and used to sing them to his Aussie mates at our local pub in Cronulla (and anywhere else for that matter) when he'd had a few (to many). Now I know its real and I can still hear dad singing!!

[Tina]

When I was 19, I was in England (1h north of London)for 7 months for work experience and learning to speak english. And I remember how I missed the mountains. I come from eastern Switzerland, where the mountains are rather high, so even a trip to the north felt still rather 'flat' for me. I love the pictures of your walking outings! Such beautiful landscape!

[Anna]

It looks like a perfect stroll you had with your family! Recently I read Wutherign Heights and now reading the Secret Garden.. happened so that in both there is Yorkshire description - moors and winds and heights! Wonderful! I would definitely love to come there some day!
Have a beautiful day!

[Barbara Seiver]

I SO understand about hills: I grew up with them, but now live in (mostly) flat Louisiana.

Your Contigo tempted me, and yes, they have it on Amazon in the U.S. I ordered a green one...how elegant! Thanks for the enablement.

[Alexandrea]

What a lovely looking place! I'm envious of all the pretty green nature walks you have close to your house. I think that the Reservoir would be quite suited for a picnic in the summer. It would be lovely there, especially by the water.

[Carolyn]

A pub lunch followed by "a little bit of a wander on the moor"- what wonderful imagery! Sounds like a totally delightful day.

[Marie Salamanca]

Hi Lucy,
I accidently stumbled across your beautiful blog and have been reading through the archives and gathering inspiration for a whole 4 hours!! how the time flies....but i wanted to ask you - please would you mind sharing your pattern for the flower heart wreath? i am in new zealand and cant access the simply crochet magazine at all, i saw it was published in issue 15 for valentines day - i would dearly love to try that pattern out. please if you dont mind would you share? i promise not to give it out freely etc, its only purely for personal use. thank you and also thank you for the lovely inspiration

[Brenda]

Ha HA, as soon as your said between Ilkley and Harrogate I started singing on llkley Moor baht at and then at the bottom of your post there you are singing it!

[Louise]

What a beautiful place to enjoy those wonderful blue skies! Thank you for sharing.

[Debbie P.]

Thank you so much,Lucy, for that song. I have never heard it before and I think I will be humming it in my head (and aloud)for days! Hope the little one feels better every day.
Hugs...

[Anne Dearle]

Thanks for sharing your day. Such beautiful scenery. It makes us feel like we have had a day out too. It is lovely to enjoy nature and to take in your surrounds whilst enjoying the company of two special men in your life.

[Anne Baselt]

You are so kind to share your life with us. Thank you.

[Sian Sanford]

I'd forgotten that song! I'm in New Zealand now but grew up in Coventry and we would sing that song on all our coach trips-"...when the ducks play football"! I'm now going to be humming it for the rest of the day!!

[Linden]

Lovely photos Lucy - I am fairly often at the Cow and Calf Rocks myself. My mother who is 89 likes a run out in the car and we go in the car park at the little kiosk.

[Katie]

Sounds like a very lovely day. I always love the canal pictures - the boats are so brightly painted. It always surprises me how going somewhere new, even just for the day and not very far away, can really feel like a get-a-way and raise your spirits. And a good meal always helps too!

[Carolyn Jackson]

Thankyou Lucy, I loved that glimpse ofYorkshire, now I can sing Ilkla Moor Baht'At !!!! enjoyed finding Swinsty Resevoir on my map too. Love your blogs.

Carolyn NZ,

[eclectichomelife.blogspot.com]

Stunning, those rocks look great, I totally understand what you mean by wanting to hug them and run away at the same time. yuo write from the heart Lucy, i love that. today i enjoyed the sunrise here in the south and made a fold away when not in use bread basket in glorious colours to match the crochet oil cloth cushion that you inspired me to make, pop over and see, lots of photos too! http://eclectichomelife.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/breadbasket-for-outdoor-living.html

[diana]

I was just going to ask about that song and then I arrived at your last paragraph. As a Canadian who has never been across the Pond, I'm not sure where I first heard that song. I think it was on our Ontario public broadcasting channel which airs lots of wonderful BBC programs. Thanks for making me feel as if I was there, too. ;-)

[Elaine Lewis]

'Contigo' is 'with you' in Spanish too x

[Elaine]

Enjoyed sharing your day as a Yorkshire lass! In my 60's! Lovely scenery with perfect sky. Very wet cold day here in Cornwall but ventured out with a good friend and coffee in my raspberry coloured Contigo! Getting late now & song still going round in my head .... Arrrggghhh :))

[Lynda M Otvos]

Such a lovely way to spend a day with J and Little B. Despite low energy feelings, the sun and the brisk air made for delightful photos. Thanks so much for sharing, Lucy; today is stunning here in Northern California too.