The Elephant Trees are a landmark throughout the Dale, and since yesterday's forecast was for sunshine and showers after some grey days, and since training is in order for the Via de la Plata, a route with longish stages, the morning walk headed up the hill outside the cottage on the Weardale Way and up to the Elephant Trees ... you are invited to imagine your own elephants from the pictures, though the closer you get the harder it seems to find any elephant ... after a brisk stroll of three hours, the choice was to return along the valley or catch the bus from Wolsingham and the bus won ... leaving 20 minutes to spend at the Methodist Chapel coffee morning, where three acquaintances were found along with four books for the library ...
Today's forecast was also sunshine and showers, but much colder and windier, with snow on higher ground ... so the higher ground was found on a four and a half hour wander west towards Rookhope and back along the disused railway track to Parkhead ... via an ill advised off piste adventure inviting snow into the boots ... all very energizing, legs ready for the challenge and some wonderful views in the driving snow ... not captured on camera since stopping and removing gloves in the prevailing conditions seemed foolhardy and maintaining momentum imperative ...
Waying, in the title, is a word devised to describe the mode of walking the Way ... a Tao metaphor and the subject of current reading in Alan Watts' last book: Tao, The Watercourse Way ... a great teacher and entertainer who found life fun ... and clearly touched the Truth ... the Tao which cannot be explained ...
No comments:
Post a Comment