“Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach”…
This just reminded me of the song by Don Henley…
These photos were taken at midday as I set off for my walk from the surgery home, taking the long way round by the canal. Mrs Fox didn’t come with me because she said the canal towpath would be crowded with people taking their exercise…
Stirring my porridge and glancing through the kitchen window into a garden illuminated by glorious sunshine, it’s hard to believe that the whole world is been threatened by the Coronavirus; Our little village has all but stopped, no buses, only one shop open with queues stretching around the corner in busy times, and empty streets…
It seemed a little busier than usual on the lane as I jogged with heavy legs on the last mile or so. Three runners in the opposite direction (a good job, I didn’t feel like racing this morning) and maybe half a dozen dog walkers and just people out enjoying this beautiful morning. We managed to keep spaced out…
Even though my legs were heavy; probably due to the scrambling around in the loft yesterday trying to wire up a new outside light, the time was faster than Tuesday’s, which makes it once again the best time of 2020 so far…When will it end I ask myself.
Unfortunately I was unable to find a route for the wire, so I’ll have a rethink and try again today…It takes my mind off the virus…
Your determination is admired Bob! 
Thanks Mags…
Hi Bob, where’s your bits been lately? Just got back with the Dog, done my first 5400 paces of the day, Suns gone in, wind is up, not a soul about, funny how a change in the weather re-instates Lockdown.
Morning Spitty, I nearly didn’t go for my long Sunday run this morning.
What with the wind howling around the house and rainspots covering my bedroom window. Mrs Fox reported hearing thunder in the night and the temperature has dropped considerably since yesterday, and heavy black clouds filled the sky, so I had to wear my thin waterproof.
Before I knew it I was charging out of the door and through a deserted village in earnest. By the time I reached the three mile mark I was enjoying it so much, I took the eight mile turn off. I’m glad I did, it felt great to be out and some tractor driving farmer had cut all the verges creating that beautiful smell of fresh cut grass, and it never rained after all…
I know what you mean about the lockdown Spitty, I didn’t see one car, and even running back through the village I only saw one person going down to the newsagents for their paper; There’s usually quite a few with a sprinkling of dog walkers. Well done on the 5400 paces Spitty, I reckon that 8.2 miles will have been about 13,000 steps assuming one step equals a metre. Takes me an hour and a half these days though; I used to run half marathons (13.1 miles) in 90 minutes once upon a time…Where have those days gone…?..
Hi Bob, I’m always glad to get into the Country Park so I can get up to speed with the dog off the lead, paces are no use when accompanied by a dog with a penchant for sniffing.
I know what you mean Spitty, Mrs Fox is just the same when we go out walking, sniffing all over the place…
Seriously though…I like to go out walking up the lane and around the wood, sometimes with Mrs Fox sometimes solo. It gives me chance to notice my surroundings and appreciate nature a bit more. When I retired I thought that there would be more of this, but unfortunately there’s always a job…
Off out for a walk without the dog, after 2.5 miles in the morning, she is only up for a stroll round the block on the afternoon so she would not be up for 3 miles now.
I’m just going to ‘Crash out’ now Spitty…Twas the red wine and big dinner that done it…
My feet is my only carriage, so I’ve got to push on through (Bob Marley)
Just got back, three miles, just a walk to the shop, then round the block with the dog.
I love a drink but never during the day (thank goodness).
After breakfast yesterday I decided to leave the madding crowd and walk my five mile running course. Although I run it every other day I seldom get the chance to really study it. Half a mile down the lane brings me to the railway crossing gates, just in time for the 10:35 to Doncaster…I wave to the driver…
Ah! and he waves back…
I carried on down the lane and spotted this gynormous crow strutting about in a grassy field, this photo doesn’t do him justice, he really was a large chap. Unfortunately he was a bit camera shy and wouldn’t look at the camera…
I paused a while to watch this farmer spraying his crops…It looks a bit like a flying machine, but after several attempt he couldn’t get it airborne so I moved on.
At this time of year we are surrounded by fields like this, growing stuff, I’m sure we could supply more of our own food instead of shipping it half way across the world. It’s ironic that this field of crops will probably be exported, and we will have to buy it back for twice the price…That’s the EU for you!..
This bit of lane leads to the woods and it’s like entering a church…So quiet and peaceful, far away from any human activity. No music, no engines, and no BBC news…I could linger here all day, but I must press on…
This Oak tree has been here over 100 years, certainly as long as I’ve been visiting these parts. It’s dying now though…Do you think it’s taken exception to the 5G mast that’s been cunningly concealed behind that copse? What’s worse is; What is it doing to us and we don’t even notice…
I couldn’t resist taking a photo of this fungus, so attractive in their own way. I suppose they are the garbage collectors of nature. Feeding on rotting wood and vegetation. You can eat some of these, but I’m not brave enough, or knowledgeable enough to risk it. Everything gets broken down eventually (even us) and recycled into something else. You can’t destroy a planet, it will have it’s own way in time…The earth is more adaptable than even humans…Stuff you think about while out walking by yourself!..
I took a photo of this Sycamore so I could go home and identify it in Foxy’s book of trees…I think I knew what it was really but it just struck me as being very pretty…
Sadly I have arrived at my destination and due to present legislation have to queue to supply my dwindling milk supplies and obtain today’s lunch; A bespoke Tesco Chicken Salad Sandwich. Oh! and I couldn’t resist the enormous pile of McVities choccy biscuits stacked precariously at the entrance; Tesco you bugger!
I hope you’ve enjoyed accompanying on my ramble (rambling in more ways than one) this has been just another day in the life of Foxy during lockdown…Quite boring I know, but I’ve loved writing it…
Great photos of your walk today, Bob and it’s lovely to see your part of the country. You’ll have to do more walking so we can see more photos of what you are up to on your travel!
What I especially like about this is you go to the trouble of describing what you hear and what you see so we feel we are on your walk with you.
A pleasure, watching your walk OGF.
Thanks Mags and Spitty, I really appreciate your comments…
The Chicken Salad Sandwich was brilliant thanks…
Back to Tesco for the weekly shop this morning, I’m on first name terms with some of the staff. Trouble is, I don’t recognise half of them with their face masks and visors on…I feel like I’ve been exposed to radiation and everyone is having to protect themselves against me…
If all goes according to plan, this weeks report might be coming from Spurn Head…It’s been calling me for a while now…
Stay Safe both of you…
Looking forward to seeing Spurn Head, as you maybe be aware the Airshow and Model Airshow calender has been decimated this year, but, there is a chance there may still be a show at Winterton, if there is, may meet up for a none alcoholic Pint.
I’ll deffo be up for that Spitty, keep me posted…
Meanwhile…Due to unexpected circumstances I have decided to visit Spurn Head today…So it was up and out early (6:00 am) for my Thursday five mile run, and I’ve just finished breakfast and the engine is running…Catch you later…
Spurn Head is a 3 mile long finger of land that juts out into the Humber Estuary and the focus of today’s ramble. It’s about an hour and a half drive for me, because once you pass Hull the roads get windier and narrower with quaint little villages that post 30mph signs with enthusiastic constables waiting to catch the unwary driver out. On my return journey I witnessed two drivers who hadn’t paid attention to their speed, or the limits, costly mistake…
I arrived at my destination in Kilnsea to find the toilets closed and a pay and display machine. If the toilets had been open I might have bought a ticket…I drove round the corner to find that just up the road they had built a Spurn Head Discovery Centre, closed now of course thanks to Covid, but at the least the fiver it cost me for an all day ticket would be going to a good cause…The nature reserve…
In a car park that would easily hold fifty cars, there was just five including mine. As I started my walk I discovered about fifty cars littering the verges all the way to the gate. To avoid the fiver I guessed. I had driven all this way for the solitude, but it was heaving with folk…
Undaunted I pressed on; It’s a good three miles from here to the lighthouse that you could just see in the distance. Rough terrain, on a hot day, I didn’t think many would be making the journey, and I was right. The first obstacle you come to is the half a mile of soft sand because a previous storm had washed the road away cutting off the head from the mainland.
If you follow that beach and walk along the seashore it will take you all the way to Hornsea, Bridlington, Filey and Scarborough. Perhaps when the busses are running properly again it will be something to be considered. Today though I walked in the opposite direction, for the three mile hike to the lighthouse and coastguard station. This is what’s left of the road that used to connect Spurn Point to the rest of the mainland, and now Spurn is only accessible at low tide…
If you can survive the soft sand, cement blocks, and rising tide, you eventually arrive at the old road, which is still intact, and from here on it’s all good walking. Fortunately most visitors don’t get this far so here is the solitude I’ve been looking for. This little shed is for the unlucky people who didn’t plan their walk while taking the rising tide into consideration. They can sit it out in here and wait until the water recedes…Although in winter I don’t think it ever does…
Storms are quite frequent here and every year a little bit more of Spurn gets reclaimed by the sea. I can see a time in the not too distant future when it will become an Island. Just a couple decades ago the small community at the point was serviced by a railway, which like everything else around here, finally ends up in the sea…This is what’s left, it goes nowhere now…
I finally made it to the Lighthouse and am looking for a comfortable spot to eat. The egg and bacon sandwich I purchased from the Nisa on the way wasn’t up to much but it’s all I’ve got. I should have shopped at the co-op in Thorngumbald on the way, perhaps next time. What a funny name for village…
This is the coastguard station on the point, there is also a lifeboat stationed here, at high tide there are massive ships and ferries sail past here for Hull or Grimsby and this station keeps them all from bumping into each other. There is also a pilot that navigates them in and out of the Humber…That makes up the little community here, although apart from the lifeboat crew I think the pilots and coastguards travel from somewhere else by river taxi or even chopper…
And finally, this is the jetty that serves the community and it’s where the lifeboat is accessed; You can just see the lifeboat anchored on the left waiting for some distressed sailors…I wonder if the crew have any tasty sandwiches they could spare, this bacon is horrible…
Great photos OGF, Winterton is late August, keep you posted.
The Furlough Folks have come here for their exercise, and left their trash, nowt changes.
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