Even Moor Fun

Back in the before, it was all fun and frolics on t'Moor yesterday, with me going for a toddle and then meeting up with the Folks for an old tradition - Tea on the Moor!

We used to do this often in the Summer, taking advantage of the lovely warm evenings when the grockles had all buggered off... ;)


This time, the wind was feeling capricious and finding somewhere sheltered from it was not easy. We ended up near Aish Tor and it was very nice, with a lovely view of pretty scenery and no livestock..

Tea might have gone on longer, but after eight the midgies decided to crash the party, and despite efficient repellent [be prepared or be sorry], having a cloud of the little buggers about ones head wasn't that much fun when there weren't even any Nightjars, so we called time.


Earlier...

With Her Majesty's Finest playing on the north Moor, I went for a wander about the southern bit, heading down to some more big rocks.

On my way south along the crystal path, I was unhappy to find the cyclogene erosion was worse than ever;

That middle one is nearly 1m deep

Might as well argue with the wind, I know...



On a much lighter note, there were Wheatears. Everywhere.
Not just adults but juvs. LOTS of juvs. All cute and stuff. Some of the males were very protective, one even spent several seconds hovering in front of me at eye level so I could be certain I was the one getting chakked at! [And I was only walking along, too...]

Indeed, so concerned were they with watching over their babbies, that I even got a picture of one;

Keeping watch.

Right, on to the main event, namely the Bronze Age Wonder of the Moor; Drizzlecombe.

I know, such an appropriate name, right?

But wonders, oh yes.

Oooh, what's that?

This.

Brodgar, Stonehenge, Drizzlecombe

Looking up the row to the terminal cairn

The pictures don't show the size of this thing, let alone its presence. It is also not alone.

The Second has a more impressive row

The Second, its row, and the Others

Parallel to its row, unlike the First

And don't forget the Third. Smaller, yes, but also interesting, not least in where it came from [look at the granite]

The Third

These are not all.
There are other stones, cists, a large cairn, a small circle, and some very well-preserved settlements all in this one area. A whole landscape, left alone between miners and warreners and field systems. It's well worth a look, even though you can only approach from one direction without risking getting soggy*.


It wasn't a long walk or a full day, but it was very worthwhile and not just for getting lots of iffy shots to vex you with. :)



Later on, as I found myself staying up [for some reason] I tried to see the Whirlpool Galaxy. Despite knowing where it was and applying a Big Scope, I failed utterly. I blame the light pollution. :(
Saturn was more obliging, but singularly failed to let me photo it, despite looking as awe-inspiring as ever**.


As consolation, a Spotshank flew over calling while I was outside. :)




Be Seeing You..



[[*I'm not telling you which, that wouldn't be any fun ;)]]
[[**Have you ever looked at Saturn through a scope? Do it. You will be filled with awe that such a thing could really exist. This is no dot, no arrangement of points of light, this is a creamy yellow circle with a fucking ring around it and it's so far away the light you're seeing took an hour and a half to get here...  It shouldn't be real. But it is. Like I said, awe.]]