Sunshine and Wall Crossings

Day 17, Greenhead to Bellingham: 16.8 miles

Can I get a Hallelujah?  SUNSHINE.  And we mean with every passing mile there were fewer clouds and more sunshine throughout the day.  It was a beautiful walking day with loads of fabulous views, a little (in relative terms very little) bit of bog and a very pleasant encounter on a very old sheep farm (circa 1700).

So, instead of lots of jabber for today's blog, I'm going to share sunny photos and one short story.

Starting the morning back on Hadrian's Wall, under clearing skies

Hints of blue and lovely Wall views

Happy blogger: Sunshine is a comin'

Heather and grasses growing atop the Wall

Sycamore Gap (tree is a local celebrity as it apparently is seen in Kevin Costner's Robin Hood)

 And now, an abbreviated study in ways to cross (or pass through) a proper English Wall:

Stone stile

Gate pass-through (one of many latch options

The kissing gate

Ladder stile

Two-step plank stile

Finally, best story of the day: At one kissing gate, we encountered two determinedly lovesick horses who simply refused us passage (Cliff has these photos).  As the horses took to licking the fence posts and nuzzling Cliff's GPS, we sought an alternative route to continue our walk.  Having just about 100 yards back greeted a sheep farmer who hailed us with, "It's only 50 miles to Kirk Yetholm now," we backtracked and requested permission to travel through his yard to regain our route.  That chance encounter opened a delightfully animated and enjoyable conversation with the farmer, Jamie, and his wife, Mandy.  It seems Mandy had just returned from Portland Oregon, where she was visiting her daughter and her brand new grandchild.  Jamie and Mandy both are walkers and when Jamie was 23, he walked (ran?) the 50 miles to Kirk Yeholm in a day!  In a tiny space of time we talked ecology and progressive living, taxes, politics and culture.  It makes me wish everyone could travel somewhere different and meet someone new this year.  We really are more alike than we are different -- and if that isn't a bridge-building concept well suited to increase understanding and empathy among human-kind, I don't know what is!

Cliff approaching Bellingham -- our destination for the day

So, we have just three walking days remaining.  My greatest wish is that today's weather holds.  And no matter the weather: We'd still rather be walking.