Why is this so hard??

This was a good long walk from the second May Bank Holiday (I think...it's been a while!).  We started at home, went over the hill to Shatton, along the river to Offerton, up the big hill back up to Shatton Moor and Abney then round the moor back to Bradwell.  Stunning and very varied.

We start off near Bradwell admiring the sleek lambs and feeling sorry for their raggedy mothers!

Ey up - what's that in the middle of all those sheep??

Yup, a goat.  Rather strange but better than being a lonely goat I suppose.

Gaining some height with views over the valley towards the Hope Cement Works with Mam Tor in the background.

We're at the top now looking down towards Shatton and Bamford beyond.

Although overcast, it was warm so Minty cooled off by parking herself in a muddy ditch, nice.

We walked down this quiet lane into Shatton and didn't meet a soul.  Just the birds and the flowers to admire.

The leaves were (belatedly) unfurling.

Now we're in that massive meadow you will have seen in so many of my photos of in the past (and there will be more in the future too!).

Little ducklings! I hope their mum is successful in keeping at least most of them safe.

We reach the stepping stones and turn right up the big hill to Offerton Hall.

Halfway up the hill looking towards Hathersage and Carl Wark and Higger Tor in the background.

We watched this handsome hare run down the field.  The dogs were on leads as there were sheep in the field or they would have been off after him!

This little sheepy family posed prettily for us - the composition reminded me a little of a Gainsborough portrait!

Bamford Edge looms distinctively.

Another handsome creature.  This chaffinch chappie wasn't bothered by me at all and just sat on his post until we had passed.

Usually we walk around the contours from here but today we carried on climbing to reach the top of the moor.

It was hot and sticky work and we had to keep calling Minty back in case she set off after swallows and came across sheep ahead of us! 

But the big skies and lovely views were well worth it.

There is a little pool right in the middle of the moor with a tiny bridge.  Do you remember stopping here on our walk with Beth, Peri?

Now we're heading back towards Bradwell staying up above the farming and holiday cottage hamlet of Abney.

It's a bit remote though... imagine it in the dead of winter?!

Just before we headed back down the hill into Bradwell, we came across a mob of mad lambs.  They were just old enough to be away from their ma's and were having a high old time.  They were running up and down the field wall, not being chased by anything, seemingly just for the fun of it!  Youth eh?

I am sticking to my guns on this new push and seeing some success but it is annoying how hard it is to bed good habits back in.  I have lamented this topic before - that it is ludicrously easy to acquire a bad habit but stupidly difficult to bed in a good one. 

Take this morning for example.  I had my mid-morning breakfast of bacon and eggs which were very tasty.  I know that this breakfast is perfectly filling and I don't need anything else but the very first thought I had as I put my plate in the dishwasher was "right, what can I eat now??".  How stupid is that?  Bloody Chimp.

So then  I have to go through the whole internal bargaining process .  I think I'm rusty with my chimp management but I remembered distraction as a tool and this worked to prevent me eating anything bad after my brekkie (although I did have a pear which is permitted).   I mentally said to myself  "yes, you can have a piece of toast.....after you've unloaded and loaded the dishwasher".  This worked as it gave me time to realise that I wasn't hungry and also to get used to the idea that a cup of tea and a pear would be fine.

The other good thing I did was the swimming.  As I enjoyed it so much and it's outdoors (which I adore), both me AND my chimp are keen to go again.  I haven't managed to find a suitable time yet but the act of trying to fit it in is a good sign.  What makes it tricky is the rather fiddley timetable at the pool.  If you have a season ticket you can pretty much go any time apart from staff training and the odd private party but the public sessions are 7.30-9am then 10.30-12.30, 1.30-4.00 and 5.00 to 7.00.  Not bad but there always seem to be reasons why you can't fit it in.

This is why, when I stopped having a season ticket , I got out of the habit (see, habits again) of going.  Next year, I will definitely get a season ticket when it opens for the season in April (this year in the snow!).  As I type this, I'm idly wondering whether it's worth buying one for the rest of the season....it is £135 and the pool closes at the beginning of October.  Each session costs £5.50 so I'd have to go 24 times or twice a week for the rest of the summer to make it worth my while financially....hmmm.  Bit risky.  I'll pay and play this year and then join up next year as I'd intended to do this year.

I've been doing some great evening walks recently.  Went out round Bradwell with Rich's niece on Tuesday and then Rich and I were out for a couple of hours last night round Bamford which was lovely.  Tiring as I'd played golf in the morning so my legs were sore but lovely to go walking togther setting the world to rights. 

We were driven out by a few house viewings but I'm pleased we went out and the dogs got some good quality swallow (well, house martins in this case) chasing in an empty field near Bamford Rec.  It's not quite the right time for it as the birds are not "playing" they're focussed on feeding their chicks so, they don't fly low for long periods, just collect the insects and disappear.  Once the chicks fledge though, there are a few weeks while they're building up their strength and working on their flying skills when they seem to actually tease the dogs.  They fly low in tight circles and swoop up and back round for ages seemingly playing with the dogs until they are exhausted and I have to drag them away.   It's brilliant to watch.

Anyway, in summary, I'm fighting the good fight with my Chimp and so far am winning more than I'm losing.  Wish me luck!