Another of my ‘whats happening?’ posts.
The day had not started well, I’d set my alarm early, for me, so I’d get to my eagerly awaited dental appointment at 9am. I awoke feeling strange. Putting my hand out to the radio nothing happened. Pressing the light switch nothing happened. Checking my mobile twice or even thrice the time said 9.30. 9.30 where was I? It dawned on me in the middle of an electricity cut. Not even my land line worked. Reconnected later in the morning apologies to the dentist were due. I didn’t come round till lunchtime. By then my phone was ringing, the sun was shining and I’d arranged a walk up Longridge Fell.
Mike was recovering from a hip operation and I was keen to try my legs on rougher terrain. Mid afternoon we were parked up on the rough ground above Crowshaw Quarry. I won’t bore you with our usual route on the forest tracks to the trig point and back.
A few things were different today…
Access onto the open fell from the forest was always by a through stile in the wall just below the trig point. Somebody, presumably, Lancashire County Council, has become disheartened by damage to the said wall and installed a metal kissing gate. Not really in keeping with a fell top but maybe more enduring. 
It was wet on the way to the trig point. But we were soon at the top and greeted by a young Patterdale Terrier full of energy and inquisitiveness.
A little further on was the wooden gate which has breached the wall for years but suddenly seems to have been chewed to bits. The type of chewing seen round horse enclosures. No horses up here so we wondered deer, wild boar, beavers, yeti… We walked on keeping a close eye behind us on the woods.
Arriving, without being chewed or worse, onto the forest road below we couldn’t believe the amount of damage from the storm a month ago. Our onward route at one point was completely obstructed by fallen trees. I’d seen the same on Beacon Fell a couple of weeks ago but for some reason hadn’t expected it here. Some of the trees were leaning ominously across the track but most had been completely uprooted or snapped. It will take some time with a chain saw to clear things. A way round was found. 
A little further on and what is happening here …
We had walked through sun, rain and sleet, the road and car reached.
Nothing stays the same.
Some deep unconscious spark made me think of…
*****
The perpetrator of fence eating has been so nourished he/she has been able to discard crutches. Those metal gates are a bit unsightly compared with the old stone stiles, but the latter are difficult to spot at a distance, and with my knee afflictions they are becoming more burdensome, so I can’t help admitting to a sigh of relief these days when I see one of those gates. They have become more prolific on the major Long Distance Paths, perhaps funded by European money, so we may not see many more additions in future?
“Answering your comment promptly and without fail”
Still not sure about that wooden gate’s fate.
Lovely morning for your Thursday walk.