From car to twilight fresh ground as peat stained earth rolls beneath my feet. No conveyor, heaving breath and feet ploughing up ancient long forgotten forest. Furze bound as I turn to track and startle cattle that move on to chew and shelter.
Blackslade passed, the gentle rise to wittaburrow's scattered stones laying where three thousand years could not move them; laid by men; now interred.
The moorland sunset clear and crisp. Clear. Tors and hills presented for skyline muster, my inspection: my moor. God given, God thanked I run on through settlements where once my ancestors had farmed, a child in the long grass playing in the depths of imagination, my grandfathers forefather.
Beyond lies bog, it was bog then and is now. Bracken covers hillward slopes as I press against them, digging in. Bracken brown and beaten by summers sun now receding to autumn gold.
I rise atop Pill Tor with Rippon rising to my Eastern flank, noble, great yet unvisited in her loneliest moments.
Boyond the ponies happy to roam, wild. The pace quickens my heart beating faster and legs workingharderfasterstronger beyond my normal thresholds....... ALIVE!
I reach the car and think, there was a chill in the air tonight.
14 comments:
Life is to good for you living there;). That hil..ops, Mountain country is stunning. I must visit again. Good read, and I could almost feel the cold air. Speaking of which I need to go out into the cold and walk the hound.
Ps, "appologies" is not spelt like that, it has one p. Next time you post a comment on my blog, please correct before publishing :):)
Correct grammar and all that, dear chap.
Thanks Martin,
A friend recently corrected somebody who was making comparisons between Dartmoor and 'elsewhere' and trying to figure why we may prefer an afternoon on the moor to some more lofty peak.
"Ahh but..." said my friend "you are talking about topography and geology, what Shamus and I are discussing (when talking about Dartmoor) is a relationship with the landscape"
My apologies for the spelling I must try harder.
My apologies for the spelling I must try harder.
My apologies for the spelling I must try harder.
My apologies for the spelling I must try harder.
My apologies for the spelling I must try harder.
My apologies for the spelling I must try harder.
My apologies for the spelling I must try harder.
My apologies for the spelling I must try harder.
My apologies for the spelling I must try harder.
My apologies for the spelling I must try harder.
x 100
Strong thoughts. Good feelings.
Ah.
Here you are.
The insular space of the blogger ;-)
Quite like the prose. I guess you have to have the relationship to appreciate the Moor...no doubt you can seek variety therin....
I like rock though.
ed Moy 'ansome...
You knew I was here all along. SO Glad you could pop in for cyber tea and biscuits.
;-()))
Nothing like a good hot tattie oggie to beat the cold. Shamus, on another note entirely. You mention your Hex leaking. It may pay to complain. Having a few worries about my shangri I spoke to the people who supplied it. Golite have a problem with leaking tents. Dawn
Thanks Dawn, it was Bob who sold it to me... The rotter ;-)
nice prose Shamus.....
one could say you are an artiste but Ed is probably reading this and will no doubt say something coarse and unwitty.....
I wish I had your gumption to go running but alas not
ps was in your neck of the woods this week and had a couple of days on the moor with the kids
Dave
You great steaming nit Dave, you should give me a call next time - you can always try my work mobile; that's the number you left a message on when I was in Beacons but didnt answer because I wasnt at work not the number I would have answere because I wasnt at work.....
ah......completely clear ......
sorry
we were actually based just outside Lyme Regis but managed a couple of trips to the outer fringes during the week. Not too much and not too far as the kids are small and grumbly.....
:->
you make me miss the lovely rolling hills of Devon....
fantastic photo
andy
You are not forgotten you know.
Ok boys
I shall be back :-)
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