The 30 days challenge- to go into the wild every day in June, I wanted to remember Dad as its three years ago this month that he died at the ripe old age of 91, having lived a full and by and large a happy life. If we were lucky as children we could persuade him at the weekend to walk in what is known locally as the Quarry Bottoms, well to the locals anyway, outsiders think it’s called Newbridge Old Quarry. PAH, what do they know! The Quarry Tops is a walk at the top of the old quarry and the Quarry Bottoms , is the walk, at well, the bottom.
First you have to negotiate a rather over grown footpath down Beacon Hill , well you do if you live where I do. Now one thing I havealready learned about this going wild malarkey is that nature fights back. Day one I cleaned the bird baths out in the garden. Mr Blackbird said Yippee, took a dip, and promptly poohed in it as he left. I also got bitten by a red ant . And down this footpath, the brambles attacked me! Humph!
And so to the Quarry Bottoms. I love that you can see exactly how and where the stones for the castle were cut, and the way nature is re-claiming the rock face.
Apparently back in the day dinosaurs roamed here, by the shores of Lake Pickering. I keep looking for Jane Fonda to appear at any moment.
I just love how many plants are in this picture, until I started to really look, I would have walked straight passed this. I think it’s a kind of speedwell.
These were growing by the railway line, I think they may be garden escapees, going wild themselves.
I can manage to identify buttercups!
Home passed the rabbits on the hillside. This may be marginally better than the fish photo! Darned difficult this wildlife photography !
Hope you enjoyed this favourite walk, down my memory lane.
nanacathy2
Comments on: "Going wild, with memories of Dad" (27)
Your Quarry Bottoms look like a magical enchanted place, even without Jane Fonda. Near Lulworth Cove there is a field called Scratchy Bottom.
Only scratches from brambles this time???!! Not up to your usual standard of wild injury.
I think the pale pink flower might be Lady Smock – so pretty.
Lovely memories of your Dad. Looking forward to hearing of more wild adventures.
I love this walk, in the autumn the leaves are wonderful. Thanks for id on the flower.
Brambles and nettles everywhere at the moment aren’t there. Yesterday I nettled myself in the garden and used some rather wild language
Ha!Ha!
I bet! So far the nettles have left me alone!
I too thought the flowers looked a bit like Lady’s Smock but they don’t have the veining on the petals so I am not sure.
Looks a lovely place for a walk. I especially like the look of the path in the third picture.
It was the number of petals which was hard to id, so many flowers have more petals, and the leaves are quite distinctive.
It is the same as your ‘garden escapees’ and think it is probably – Hesperis matronalis (http://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Hesperis+matronalis) although this is a US site you can buy the seeds in this country. I just couldn’t easily find a picture of the leaves.
it looks lovely and cool down at the Quarry Bottoms. A perfect place for a picnic in fact.
It is lovely and cool. Not usre about the picnic, much nicer picnic spots close by! You’ve not forgotten have you?
Beautiful! Nice tribute.
Thanks, you have to picture my brother and I,Dad and a dalmatian dog!
An amazing combination of personal, local and natural history in words and images Cathy.
Thanks Denis
Were the flowers scented?. I saw some similar on the banks of the river Wharfe in the Dales last year and they smelt lovely, so I thought they might have been escapee scented stocks. Lovely walk.x
Doh I didn’t smell them!
I could smell them without sniffing them to be honest. Very fragrant!
I can just feel the coolness and lushness. I bet it is stunning in autumn.
I think the autumn is my favourite time for this walk, when there is a carpet of orange leaves.
Looks like a lovely walk. Aren’t the buttercups just beautiful at the moment. Who cares if technically they’re weeds 🙂 As for wildlife, they just won’t stay still – will they 😦 Thanks for sharing, try to stay our of danger in your pursuit of June wildness. xx
I am in the Facebook group for this challenge and people have amazing photos and no-one else reports nature fighting back! Still my sense of well being is on the up and up.
Excellent. I’m not doing it, but do love observing nature when I walk HRH. I’m sure nature fights back with some of them 🙂
I would love to take this walk sometime! The quarry looks enchanting!
That would be nice to take you along!
Even though nature doesn’t always cooperate with you, you seem to be doing well with going wild!
Getting wild as well as Going Wild some days!
What a lovely walk down memory lane with you Cathy. That place looks magical. I love it when nature reclaims what once was hers!