Black gritstone Laithe barn facing the watery late afternoon sun

Echoes to the clatter of bovine hooves on shiny dung slicked cobbles

Milking complete, the plod to grazing fields underway accompanied by buzzing flies

Tails flicking, heads shaking, the small herd spreads though the running grass each cow finding space

The field edge drops away into the steep wooded valley patched by bluebells

Water running over gritstone boulders the new soundtrack to the journey

Crossing the stepping stones we spot a Dipper flashing a white bib cutting into the stream

A bubbling zip marks his passage through the golden peaty water

Entering the abandoned hamlet, ruined buildings with broken windows like sad eyes watching

Ghost voices and sounds carried on the wuthering wind into the tall trees

Gaining the upper slope passing pine needles humped into formic domes by resident wood ants

Patches of blue turned pink by acid in the secret life of a woodland floor laid bare

Overhead raucous Jays call territorially from the fresh green canopy

A Fox barks sharply in the distance sensing our presence

Owls shuffle in rest trees waiting for the twilight hunt to start

Deer unseen by us skitter and disperse at the new sounds of our passage

Badger sniffs at the sett exit and listens, waiting for the safety of the approaching darkness

We gain the next edge and the welcome packhorse track leaving the crags to themselves