Maxey circular - via Peakirk, Glinton, Etton

Led by me. With Barry and Eddie. Lunch at the Ruddy Duck. Very flat, dry underfoot. Good weather with a fair amount of sun. Around 10.5 miles [ I had a few hundred yards when garmin was switched off - hence my maximum walking speed of - 146 miles per hour!]


Tuckers Nook - an irresistible street name, quiet, somewhere to park unobtrusively, before booting up and crossing the High Street to Quarry Lane. We turn right to follow the public footpath, then take the clear track around the west and south sides of the quarry area.

Maxey Quarry lies to the South of the village and now consists of lakes attractive to wildfowl, guarded byplenty of signs warning of quicksand, and the dangers of deep cold water.

It doesn't look too inviting

We join the track which comes from Woodgate Road, just before the bridge over Maxey Cut. This track soon heads east past some sand and gravel workings.


On the lakes we see grebe, coots, ducks and a vast number of swans, among half submerged willows.





The track crosses the minor road to Etton and arrives at the A15, where there is a choice of culvert-style tunnels below the road.

Just big enough to walk through upright.

The track continues to the east of the A15, and meets Lincoln Road, between Glinton and Northborough at the Nine Bridges Viaduct - road over water. We counted sixteen arches.

There's a man in a car labelled Traffic Survey - the job doesn't look too arduous, and he's not even counting pedestrians. We turn right and immediately left, and pick up a permissive footpath which takes us to the side of the Cut.

We turn right and walk as far as a bridge carrying a footpath. There's a heron fishing.











It really isn't bothered by our presence. We turn right along the footpath, reach the Mile Drove Road, then turn along North Fen Road. We walk as far as the bridge with a display board about John Clare. For a gentle introduction to his work have a look at this blog.



A few hundred yards later, our footpath goes off to the left just before the first houses in Glinton.



We walk along until the path turns right than left, and now we have a possible alternative route. It's that sort of day - we'll try the other path via the course of the Car Dyke. We overshoot, then return. We come out in Peakirk just by the magnificent, nay splendid, Old Rectory. A left turn along a narrow footpath brings us to St Pega's church, with its open bell-tower and medieval wall paintings. This is very much a hidden gem, nestled among the trees, and with no tower or spire advertising its presence from a distance.








We've walked about 5 miles by now. Next stop the Ruddy Duck for a bite to eat. Then by street and pavement to Glinton, with a brief nod to Mary Joyce's grave. She was John Clare's first sweetheart. Their romance was thwarted because her family would not accept him socially. Alas, she died single at the age of 41, in a house fire. Here's a poemClare wrote about her - before her death.

I can take John Clare's poems in small doses, but he had strong ideas about the changing countryside and its people, and was very much against the enclosure of common land. His tragic life and depression caused him to be locked in an asylum for some time.

Glinton church

Relaxed goat

On we stride along a street which leads directly to a footbridge over the A15. This must be the highest we've been above sea-level all day. We continue at the side of a field of yellow rape flowers, to the turn to Etton, a very small village, with a pub, a fair few horses, and the claim to have won the "Best Kept Village" competition at least three times.

Etton church

We've spied a route that looks better than tramping the hard road back to Maxey, and turn left along another dyke, near a road bridge.



With the help of our map, we wend our way back towards Maxey, meeting several dog-walkers - I think they are vital in keeping some of these paths open to the public!

We return to Maxey along Woodgate Road, and return to the car.


A day of wide skies, long views and plenty of water.

Wildlife:

Grebes doing a bit of a courtship dance, a heron staying obligingly still, terns, swallows and a very loud robin in Maxey.



A recent Countryfile programme includes a section on John Clare. It's about 12 minutes into the programme.

More Pride & Prejudice and Other Assorted Interesting Stuff

I had the pleasure of visiting Chatsworth House, the seat of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. We thoroughly enjoyed not only the house but the grounds as well. There were fields full of sheep and large trees, lovely gardens, and the cutest little hunting lodge. Of course one of my favorite rooms was the library. Chatsworth is famous for it. I had a jaw dropping moment when I saw a paperback copy of Georgiana by Amanda Foreman lying in front of ancient leatherbound books. The incongruity of it struck me as chuckle worthy.
Georgiana Cavendish was the 5th Duchess of Devonshire and quite a character. There's an excellent movie about her with Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes called Duchess. I've seen it about four times and would like to again.
The top photo is a painting of Georgiana as the Goddess Diana by an unknown artist. I believe it's on the ceiling going down a staircase in Chatsworth House. The small portrait of her at bottom is by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
You may remember in the P&P movie the long gallery at Pemberley (Chatsworth) where Elizabeth Bennett saw the bust of Mr. Darcy. After they were finished filming, they left the bust there. It looks very much like Matthew McFayden as Mr. Darcy. I couldn't quit looking at the girl behind the veil. How can cold marble be sculpted to look so warm and lifelike? Michelangelo did it. You just want to embrace his figures and sink into them. Not the David. I'm referring more to his pietas. Anyway, I digress.....
The final scene where Mr. & Mrs. Darcy are sitting beside a pool was taken here at this fountain. I believe there's a scene in the movie looking out this same window at the fountain and pool.
And one final comment on the photo of the bells; I can't remember where this was taken. It could have been Chatsworth but may have been taken at Burleigh House. Have you seen these down in the servants' hall while watching a movie or touring a house? You know what would happen. The servants, including the housekeeper and butler, have just sat down to their dinner when one of the bells rings. Every head turns in dread to see which room is requiring something. The butler sees that it's the drawing room needing attention. He sighs and says, "It's for me. Carry on with your meal."
If you click on the photo, you may be able to see the labels underneath the bells telling which
bell goes to which room.
I love touring the grand houses of Europe. I just wonder....if my ancestors had stayed in the old countries, would I now be living in a house like Chatsworth or Burleigh, or would I be a poor relation, having to accept whatever charity my rich relatives dish out? Unfortunately, I'll never know since the ancestors DID come to America leaving behind either grandeur or squalor.

Don't Ride Wet/Soft Trails

Friday, I rode up the Wabash Trace to Margaritaville. Slow going compared the last ride of last year. Trail is not in its summer hard-pack condition. That, and the first ride up this year, I only made 8mph up the hill.
Speaking of trail condition, Tuesday Greg (maintainer of the Trace from CB to Silver City) graded the trail surface. Even after running the grader off the trail, there are still ruts from riding when the surface is wet.
Now I know we all have gotten cabin fever this winter. But, when you ride on the wet trail, you are doing damage to the trail surface. That 1 ride you just couldn't make without, causes untold others riders misery with a rough trail surface.
The photo above is bicycle tracks in the crushed limestone surface when inconsiderate riders ride a wet trail.
After a rest stop, I headed down the hill and then over to Lake Manawa to check out the mountain bike trail. The last week we had lots of drying wind - hoping the trails are rideable.
I rode W Sidewinder, which was dry. Headed over to E Sidewinder. When I got into the wooded part, I saw that the trail is very soft, with deep ruts. It was time to stop, turn around, and ride someplace else. The second photo is of the ruts in the trail tread.
At the parking lot, I met a couple other riders. When I mentioned that the trail was too soft, one said it was good -- just soft spots and wet spots to ride around. URGH. I told him doing that damages the trail.
In this part of the country, riding on wet trails does great damage. Its not like places were the trails are on rock. I think the magazines do a disservice when they publish photos of riders plowing down muddy trails. Photos of mud encased bikes and riders enforces this image of the mountain bike rider.
Next time you ride soft/wet trails, think about who has to repair that trail. They do not heal themselves - it takes hours of dedicated volunteers to repair your hour of "fun".

Plans Interrupted

Saturday, July 23

We had plans to go out this weekend. Not to explore or do anything exciting, but just to relax in our condo on wheels. And maybe take care of a few — and I stress the “few” part of that statement — chores around the motorhome.

And then the “heat dome” happened. If you live in the US, you’ve heard of this since it’s blanketing a huge portion of the country. If not, the heat dome is a large high-pressure system in the mid- to upper atmosphere that is pushing warming air to the surface and holding it there. I’m telling you, this is no fun.

Local weather forecasters on TV came out en masse this week, doing all kinds of things outside to prove to people that it is hot, hot, hot … they cooked frozen macaroni and cheese on the pavement, baked a frozen pizza on the sidewalk, and fried a couple of eggs on a cast iron skillet sitting in the sun. By late afternoon yesterday, the 102F (38C) high was officially declared as “feels like” 122F (50C) with the heat index.

this says it all!

With more of the same kinds of oven-hot temperatures and bad-air-quality warnings forecasted over the weekend, we decided to not leave the sticks and bricks. I’m using the time to get blog posts up for our recently-concluded Arctic expedition voyage. I haven’t quite gotten to the glaciers and icebergs portion of our trip, but hop on over to our travel blog and join us for a virtual cool trip (pun intended). The 50F (10C) temps of our pre-voyage days in Tromsø feel awfully good right about now. All of the posts associated with our Arctic adventure will be in the July archives; for background, start here.

P.S. I will return to finish up our North Carolina trip … no worries.

That explains it

We've never had much of a raccoon problem here. I suspected that the coyotes were taking care of that for us.
At first, this picture made me wonder if coyotes carried nesting material! But when I zoomed in and brightened it, and increased the contrast, I saw a little striped tail sticking out of the coyote's jaws. (Click on the picture to enlarge.)
Now, if only I could get them interested in armadillos...

Starting on the Way Home

Sunday was the day to start towards home. Packed up the room and loaded the car (no small task). Took a break of loading the car for breakfast.

The hurricane on the East coast is causing problems for some of our group. Lost of airports on the East Coast are closed. Anyway, said my "Good-Bye"s and hit the road. First stop - Hoover Dam.

Had not been at Hoover Dam in over 15 years. New Visitor's Center, parking structure, and of course the new bridge. All kinds of security check-points. Did not want to go through the scanners with the camera, I just walked a part of the dam - enough for some photos.

Lake Meade is VERY low!. I had heard from someone in the reunion was that it was down 22", but it looks like 22 FEET low. Part of the drought in the country.

Was a little leery of driving over the new bridge - open heights and all. I was actually disappointed. The concrete guardrails were so high, you don't even know you are high in the air. Word is that you can wlk over onto the bridge, but what I saw, it means a BiG climb up steps to the observation area. My legs would never handle it.

Back on the road about 2/3 of the way from, the dam to Kingman, there was a sign for Visitor's Information. Not right on the highway, had to drive 4 miles into the town of Chloride. An old mining town, it is said to be the oldest continually functioning post office (and town) in Arizona.

Turned East on I-40. Was thinking of making Winslow, AZ. But i was just too tired. Lucky to make Flagstaff. Got a room and crashed. On to Albuquerque for a couple days.

Lake Hawea - Gladstone track & short section Breast Hill track

According to my garmin the walk was around 4 miles each way. We set off from Johns Creek and followed the track above the lake shore. Brilliant flowers growing wild - lupins, roses, orange Californian poppies, as well as other less ostentatious flowers. New Zealand flax, pines, silver birch and the odd blue gum, as well as some deep pink mesembryanthemums, clearly flourishing on the rocks in the sun. The wind was strong today.


Map of the walk in one direction is here.
14 Dec Hawea walk

The wind has whipped white horses all over the lake, and the waves hit the shore with a crashing sound as stones are rolled back and forth. It sounds like the sea.

We're going to take the track to Lake Hawea village. It runs just in from the shore, through pines, and along cliffs. Today we're pushed along by the wind, but the sun shines and there are flowers everywhere - self set feral flowers?

Lupins, predominantly pink and purple, but with large patches of wild yellow ones too. Californian poppies, with their delicately shaped flowers of rich waxy orange. Wild roses, with their small pink flowers and arching branches. Two different types of yellow flowers, both growing as tall spikes. A blue flower, with pink on it - another spike. Even the birds foot trefoil is bigger and lusher than at home. There's a rocky slope where deep pink mesembryanthemum are sunbathing. The kete flax is everywhere, and we have pines and eucalyptus too.
We stop for coffee at the General Store and Café on the corner of Capell Avenue and Parry Crescent. The way back is against the wind, but still bright and exhilarating.

15 December - short and steep

Uphill a bit . . .

I walk along the Timaru River road, from Johns Creek for about a mile, then for a very short stretch of the Breast Hill Track, part of a long distance walking track.





I meet a man coming down who says it's about an hour to get to the ridge, and very steep zigzags.It does climb very steeply, and one of my excuses for turning back is that my old trainers are not exactly suitable footwear.

The track leaves the Timaru river road

Looking over Lake Hawea

Garmin map