After the Rain (November 5th 2022)

The day was grey with mist down to the ground and constant rain but the forecast said it would clear at 3pm - later revised to 4pm. So I planned to visit Bel's Wood to arrive by 4pm and catch the late sun with little hope. Driving over, due west, I was blinded by the low sun reflecting off the wet road; and rewarded by.a rainbow as I turned into the narrow road to the entrance. The colours were instantly spectacular and I regretted not bringing my 'good' camera but the iPhone has done a great job.

The grass was glowing green and the bracken was a rich red brown.

The bracken was glowing in the late sun with the yellow gorse flowers providing highlights

Smoke rising from a farm in the valley adding to the picture.

I do love the skeletal outlines of the bare trees. The lovely old hawthorn (Agnes) stands proudly at the top of the land.

Mist forming over the River Gilpin at the floor of the valley

These three handsome silver birch are in the winter form now with all the leaves having gone.

Happily I am enjoying both the bracken and gorse today rather than seeing them both as problems to solve.

The beck was flowing more fully that I have seen it with rain and run off from the fells above following days of heavy rainfall.

This leaky dam is holding the water up nicely and flooding ground at this mid way point;  the road isn't flooding despite this being the time with highest risk with so many leaves blocking drains on the road. I have been reading that stopping grazing also means the ground is less compacted so the soil holds more water which could also be improving the situation as it is almost 2 years since the land has been grazed by sheep and cattle.

And then the moon rose, with Jupiter already high in the sky 

and the mist came down again 

to end the day.