Skyhill

Leo's walk

 

Wednesday, 5th June, 2013

 

This was more of a stroll than a walk but it was very pretty and I haven't been on a proper hike for two weeks.  Last week I was shuffling round the house with back trouble and this week bikers are swarming all over the Island like a mass of angry hornets.  It is race week of the TT fortnight. 

 

At the end of last week we took Alexander for a short walk in the plantation behind the house and I regretted leaving my camera at home.  So on Wednesday we repeated the walk with Leo. 

 

We started from our gate into the plantation and then followed the zig zag track up to the top south west corner near the Sky Hill farm boundary.  We stopped briefly near the hairpin bend at the edge of the Ballagarrow fields to look at these horses.  One was just as inquisitive as us.

Up at the top, in the field adjoining the plantation, there was a mass of bluebells.  I adjusted the colour slightly to get a truer impression of the blue - at the expense of the deep green of the grass and bracken.

This photo of Leo gives a better impression of the colour of the grass.

We could see more distant bluebells growing through patches of the dead fronds of last year's bracken on the west side of the glen.

Last time I photographed this view of upper Glen Auldyn there was snow on the ground.  It was very peaceful on Wednesday because we were up on the hill shortly before the road closed for Wednesday's races and there was hardly any traffic.  You can see the straight line of the cutting for the mountain road on the left of the photo, below the the North Barrule ridge.  There can't be many race circuits with such an amazing view.

Leo didn't appear to be tired and was enjoying the outing so, on the way back, we took a little detour to the edge of the higher Ballagarrow fields.  The air was unusually clear and I took this photo of the northern edge of Ramsey with the Scottish mountains in the distance.

And another view of our green and peaceful glen, with the roof of the Ballagarrow farmhouse in the foreground and the houses between the river and the road behind.

Then we walked down the forestry track to the road and I couldn't resist this little patch of stitchwort growing between the ferns and honeysuckle on the bank above the path.