The Bluebells and Views of Devon

After my parents had left to go back home to Wales we made our way towards a farm gate where we had seen some bluebells. We discovered that the lane was a public footpath.

Imagine that this is the drive to your home - how wonderful would that be!

I took a photo of the Other Half, Our Daughter and the dog. Again he didn't look at the camera!

There were some interesting birds in the trees! I had no chance!

The lane leading up to the farmhouse just went on and on. Then it forked and you were directed away from the track that led to the farm.

Our Daughter posed in the bluebells.

There is something very British about bluebells. They always remind me of days spent playing "Hide and Seek" with the Brownies as a youngster. The hut where we Brownies assembled on a Tuesday was near to a local beauty spot called "The Dingle".  We would split up into two groups, one group would go and hide and try to direct the seekers to go the wrong way with arrows made from sticks picked up along the way - some pointing the correct way to where we were hiding and the others leading a false trail. Happy days. The smell of bluebells always takes me back to this childhood memory.

There were plenty of bluebells to see.

We then came to a stile and had to cross a field with these big cows in it. Cows and dogs don't mix too well and I was a bit apprehensive about going into the field. When we were half way towards getting to the next field  the cows started to move towards us. We kept our eyes down and moved quietly towards the gate that would take us to safety.

As a child my grandparents lived on a small-holding. They had a dog, a Corgi - called Bet. She was a bit tempremental and wasn't a very friendly dog. It was definitely cupboard love with her. She would be my best friend whilst I had a packet of crisps in my hand! She ate everything apart from Brown Sauce and English Mustard!

One day I went out to the fields to play and my Gran gave me a packet of Golden Wonder pickled onion flavour crisps (do you remember them) to take with me. The dog seeing and smelling the crisps came with me. As I wanted the dog to stay with me, I went further and further into the fields eating the crisps very slowly.

I was enjoying the dogs' company and hadn't realized that the 10 beef cattle that my Grandad had in the field, had spotted the dog and had come up pretty close to us. The dog on seeing this started to bark and to try and bite their hooves which only made the cows come closer still.

I remember being very, very scared. All of a sudden I heard my Grandma shouting at the cows and hitting some on the backside with a shepherds crook. The cows scattered and I was taken back to the farmhouse for a cup of tea to calm my nerves! My Grandma was a firm believer that tea would sort most things out!

I wasn't told off - there was no need. A lesson had been learnt - cows and dogs don't mix!

After we walked through another field we came to a dried muddy track and followed it for some distance before we saw this view. The dog was very excited here - the Other Half thought that there were wild boars in the woods nearby as there looked to be places where food was put out for them. The dog was certainly keen to follow a scent.

Our Daughter posed again for a photo.

The views were spectacular. I think that we will have to come back on a clearer day to get the full wonder of this place. I wonder what that interesting building is being screened by the trees.

Devon in all its glory!

Shortly after I took this photo it began to rain.

We sheltered underneath a tree. The dog was still intent on seeking those wild boars! "Let me at them!"

It continued to rain so we decided to head back home as we had come out without raincoats! Typical!

Under the shelter of the trees it was virtually dry anyway!

I didn't stop to take photos of the cows on the way back. Having aroused their curiosity I didn't want them to come after us!

We made it back to the bluebell woods.

And before you knew it we were back to where we had started!

The following day was Bank Holiday Monday and we again took a walk this time along the Devon lanes.

More on that in a later posting.

I am now finally almost up to date with blogging! Hurrah!

It has taken a great deal more time to put all this together than I thought.

What drives me on is that as she gets older Our Daughter will be able to look back at all of this and remember the things we got up to and what she saw etc. I think that this will be better than just seeing photos in an album. Anyhow, that's what I think!

Until next time.

June.