Thanks very much!
Yes it is. Forty years ago I used to swing on a tyre suspended from a rope tied to that tree.
No problem Mike, interesting stuff. Forty years ago that oak tree was part of a hedgerow but the farmer has since grubbed it up.
I seem to have lots of time for updating this thread at the moment since we're having family visits and meals which are taking up a lot of time and not leaving us time to get away. I'm looking forward to heading down to Dorset just with the daughter tomorrow for a few days.
But, early this morning we fitted in a walk to Crook Peak and were back in time for a family lunch.
Crook Peak is the westerly-most peak of the Mendip Hills and a lovely walk at any time of the year but with such a beautiful morning today the walk was something special. Soon after 7am this morning we parked up and started the 5 mile round trip to Crook Peak and back. The daughter took off at a rate of knots but we've all heard the story about the tortoise and the hare.
The first leg was through King's Wood where we passed Reg Dingle's weekend retreat.
I think the cows are introduced as much to manage the woodland as for farming.
Another cow, but the main reason I took this photo was for the yellow hot air balloon drifting across the Somerset levels just above the horizon.
After breaking though the woods a little higher up, the view to the south included Cheddar reservoir to the left and Glastonbury Tor in the background a bit to the right (west). The yellow hot air balloon appeared to be landing and a red balloon a bit more to the right had already landed... and this was only 07:30am. What a fantastic way to start a day that would be.
We kept detecting the musky smell of fox which was not surprising as there were signs of rabbits everywhere... bringing back memories of ferreting many years ago. I could still set a net over a rabbit hole without thinking.
More cows... these were young.
I gave Number 713706 a scratch on his nose which he seemed to enjoy.
And a picture of my favourite house... I could come back to Somerset if I could afford a house like this to live in.
And higher still we started to see some sheep... positioned for action!
And the view half way up at a trig point. In Roman times the Somerset Levels were swamp/sea and Axbridge (by Cheddar reservoir) was a port. This is why Glastonbury Tor was the Isle of Avalon and Wedmore is still called the 'Isle of Wedmore'. All the high ground in this picture were islands protruding from a shallow sea 2000 years ago.
And looking to the west, here was our destination... Crook Peak at the right of the picture. That's Brent Knoll at the left of the pic and a nice view of the Bristol Channel and the north Devon coast along to Ilfracombe in the distance.
To the south, Glastonbury Tor and a blue hot air balloon.
To the north, Wales on the horizon.
It's not easy taking a picture directly into the early morning sun.
'Only a hill but all of life to me'. A nice epitaph... I may borrow this and just change 'hill' for 'pond'.
The destination getting closer and the daughter still in the lead...
The beautiful village of Cross down in the valley. Since I've been in the UK all I've heard on the news is about how important it is to stay cool in the hot weather... with stunning advice offered such as drink lots of water, wear light clothing, open windows and stay in the shade. Advice for the stupid. Well, these clever sheep had figured out all by themselves to stay in the shade. Makes you think.
The final ascent to the peak across scree slopes and up steep rock faces. Someone had fashioned a cock and balls from the limestone scree, which the daughter of course noticed and commented on.
I don't know what happened to this photo... it seems that my phona applied some kind of filter for some reason, but the important thing is it proves that I won! The daughter was pretty knackered by this point.
A fellow hiker we met at the summit kindly took a photo of us together for posterity.
To the north... the M5 and Wales on the horizon.
To the west, the Bristol Channel. At the right of the pic you can see Brean Down extending into the sea, a continuation of the geological structure that formed Crook Peak. Weston-Super-Mare is on to the right, to the north. At the left of the pic you can see Hinckley Point power station and the little white blob in the sea off Hinckley Point is the Gulliver crane barge, brought in to lower a 5000 tonne water cooling unit onto the seabed in the next few days.
And to the south, the Somerset Levels.
I had a rummage around the scree and found this fossil bivalve... and there followed a short geology lesson for the daughter. Bivalves live in the sea, therefore the rock containing this bivalve was laid down in the sea despite Crook Peak now being 191 metres above sea level. Limestone is deposited in warm, tropical seas. Some ancient geological forces have been in play. Interesting stuff... well, at least I was impressed. The daughter less so.
A result of the perrenial westerly winds up on the Mendips.
On the way down we were lucky enough to see this pair of red kites cavorting together. A good photographer with a proper camera could have taken some great shots here. The Bristol Channel and then Wales in the background.
Further on and I accidentally cornered this chap against a wall and a bramble patch. Years ago I would have considered this an opportunity but I'm not sure what's legal these days, and besides, the daughter's at a very impressionable age at the moment. I left him unmolested.
A bit further on and we found a disgarded horse shoe. Our lucky day!
By now the daughter was really flagging. It was hot and we were getting tired. I kept going and encouraged her by waving her water bottle in the air to taunt her.
We did of course make it back. This picture from the A38 at the bottom of the hill to the south of the Mendips shows our 5 mile trek.
And my mum made quiche for lunch.
What a lovely day!