Went to work on Saturday, Finished early then went on to have a walk round Kinder Scout.

It was busy up until about four O'clock, which has given me the idea of maybe it could be a good idea to start work early (as I do anyhow) so I can finish at quarter past three, which should be ideal, in that I will miss the traffic on my way to Hayfield. So should be able to get four to five hours of walking round Kinder with less crowds.

Any-ways  whilst I was there on Saturday I stop at the disused quarry hopping that I might see a Peregrine nesting on the rock side.  But not this year, but did see a Stoat come bounding past me within fifteen feet or so.  Shame I didn't have my camera at the ready.

I did have my camera ready for .... <drum roll>  a common Lizard first one I've seen up close (two feet)

Now I know it looks a bit flat,  it seem that this maybe a defence mechanism, because when I came near to it, it would squat down and become very still.

Was also think that this quarry maybe a good place to camp/bivi for a night, there a fast running stream to one side 

Long spring bank holiday...

Well slow yet again at work....  Yet they still keep the contractors?  So decided to make along weekend of it, and started it by buying myself a new computer :-)  an iMac and a nice and speed thing it is,  although the screen is abit to get use to.  I'm coming from using an old 17"CTR.  And it also seem to make a funny low whistling sound when woken up from sleep. But that goes when I send it back to sleep and re-wake it up again.

Went to Marbury park yesterday,  did think it might of rained but it turn out to be a lovely day.

Bluebells in full bloom, took a few pictures, had a ch

at to a bloke about his friendly Springer Spaniel.  Think he said he was an ex-policeman, seemed nice never the less.

I don't really like dogs (cat person) but if i had to have one maybe one of those would do.

May is a nice time of year for me it great to see and hear the wildlife,  Just walking round Marbury park and you get to see and hear alsorts.  Blue, Great, Coal Tit's,  Black Caps,  White Throat,  Chiff Chaff's,  Willow Warbler, Robin's, Jay's,  Black Bird's,  Thrushes,  Wren's, Lapwings, Black Swan (first thing year) Little and Great Crested Grebes.  So Marbury is a good place to good could easily spend the day there walking round the woodland paths. 

 I think this butterfly 

is called an Orange tip, there were a few fluttering around some white ones too, I think those might have be the females ones.

 Forgot what a pain using Blogger to add posts is,  Hmm must find a better way..

Fun in the snow.

 

My effort at snowman making...  He's called Cyril BTW  Cyril The Snowman.

I went for a walk around Maccesfield forest today.  On the journey there driving along the motorway you could clearly see the cold front that was causing the cold weather.  It was a huge mass of cloud stretching from the north to the south across the eastern skyline. 

Any-ways was a good day, on my way back I stop, closed my eyes and listen......  Nothing, peace and quite at it best.  I thought to myself as i closed my eyes again, I'm warm and dry the sun is peeping through the clouds, I could be anywhere.

My Rab jacket worked okay,  did get abit sweaty on the walk up thought the forest itself so undid the main zip of my 100 weight fleece and about 2/3 of the Rab which worked a treat.  There was a few people using Inov8, mine stayed at home in the warmth.  I used my Meindl boots which I've had for ...hmm ages. 

Oo looky I can see Jodrell bank,  which might close I'm told.  Can also see the Trafford centre too.

The walk back thought the tranquil silence, well other than the muffled swishy/squeak sound that is size 10 boots walking on freshly fallen snow.

I went for a walk on Good Friday, just locally.  Just nip on to the canal and follow it through Lymm village,  through Spud wood past the Barn Owl pub and the few canal boat work shops. Then over the canal bridge and follow the country lanes until I meet up the the Trans pennine way.

Was a lovely day, Nice light for taking pictures but a tad breeze.  Heard my first Skylark of the year that day aswell, when ever I hear one I'm taken back in it time to my  Junior school days at Barton Clough primary school,  it's long lazy hot summer lunch times, lying flat on my back staring in to the sky strain my eyes trying to find that little bird twittering in the sky.

  

Oh aye, was thinking  whilst I was walking , do ducks beaks get cold?  Hmm  well you always see them with them tuck deep within their feathers when its cold so maybe the do. Or maybe they just like breathing in warm air when there asleep?  

 

I bought one of theses in the end, after much "uming and arring". 

The 500D looks basically like a rather thick screw on filter, which is handy as it can be used with other lens very easily. Anyways what it does is allow the camera to focus nearer.  So I could use it with my Nikon.

 With the Pro1 in Macro mode without using the 500D the camera doesn't allow you to use the entire zoom range, about full wide to mid zoom.  However when using the 500D you select the setting in the menu for the adaptor and the camera zooms to its full range.  IQ is very good worlds better than the waste of money that is the TC-DC58N which when used with the Pro1 is awful!  Come to think of it, it isn't much better when used with the G6 :-(

There is a draw back that I've found which is that with the camera locked at it's max zoom range you do need a steady hand.

A Pro1 500D pic:-

  

I know not the most frill of pictures, I am still playing around with it.  

The picture above are the end result of a Sunday walk around Kinder scout. A very windy walk around Kinder scout, with ice chilling rain I might add.

Any-ways I did get to try the Terrocs out in anger at last. It was a nice day too, walk wise and weather to begin with. I did well, but how did the Terrocs do? Well that that a £65 question :-) One of the main reason in me buying the Terrocs was that I heard the Hype about them being easyers on the feet than boot. Not that my boot are bad, it's just that on a walk there comes a point that I can feel a blister coming, or my knees start to hurt.

So how did I get on with the Terrocs, and what was it like having wet feet? Well, I did get wet feet and yes there were wet, but warm! If fact when I got back to the car and took them off my feet were steaming.
Must say I did think at one point I was getting a blister, at the point where the Big toe's metatarsal joins it's phalanges, it was due to my feet moving around too much in the toe area. Hmm I'm thinking that maybe they are a little to wide for my feet. I did try size 10 but my toes were touching the end. Next time I'll use a thicker sock instead of the X-sock.

Now for the warning, you have to be very careful when walking on wet muddy grass, because of the way the grip on the heel of the shoes is designed (maybe Rocklite's be better?) it gives little grip when walking down hill on wet muddy grass, which resulted in me "nearly" doing the splits a couple of times. So best to go "tip-e-toes" until it flatten out.

For me It's early days as to whether Terrocs are the answer. Don't get me wrong I did feel I had better grip on wet rock though, mainly due to the toe area flexing, which my boots just don't do, I don't know about you, but there are times when wearing my boots It feels like I'm wearing clogs!
At the end of a walk with my boots, my feet feel hot, sweaty and not far from turning to mush.

Oh aye, must say there was a funny point when follow two people who had boots and gators on tip-e-toeing around a muddy puddle, which I just ploughed straight through, hmm sure they gave a "are his feet not wet in those pumps" kinda look.

Righty, so next time I think I will try thicker socks, and poles for wet muddy grass areas which are downhill. As for my knees (which still hurt) I just have grin and bare it, as methinks they be buggered.

Google Docs does it work?