Today’s guest picture is a fine mossy roof spotted by my daughter on her recent jaunt to Hampshire.
The forecasters had promised us a sunny day but there was little chance of a suntan and a reasonable chance of getting wet in the morning. I timed my visit to our corner shop with such precision that I caught one of the showers.
Still, I put some of the time spent indoors to good use by using the bike to nowhere in the garage. I am not working very hard on it but I did increase the time spent pedalling and even going gently, my legs knew that they had been in action after quarter of an hour. I think it is going to be harder than I thought it would be when I get out on the roads again.
There was a steady supply of small birds at the feeder and I was pleased to see two or possibly three redpolls.

One got quite fierce and tried to cow another. I take it that they are both young males!
A pigeon turned up to lend a hand with clearing up the fallen seeds.
As well as staring out of the window, Mrs Tootlepedal and I continued the work of clearing all the stuff out of our front room. We took the opportunity to throw a lot of ancient possessions out as we did so. This is always a wrench but the chances of us ever watching Grease on video again are very limited so we didn’t cry too much.
After lunch, the weather looked a bit more promising so I drove up to the moorland feeders to see how the hide was coming along.
The team have obviously been working very hard.
I stepped inside and took a view through the window and found a blue tit near at hand.
Near the hide, the team have created the Ritz of bug hotels.
I can understand why there are no tits in our garden as they all seem to be up at the moorland feeders. Even when I strolled down the centre of the glade, they were not put off.

The weather seemed not too bad with high clouds in one direction….
…so I decided to give my knee a little hill work and set off down the road to the banks of the Tarras water. The first part of the trip was through open country and even in winter, there was colour to be seen in the trees.
I soon came to birch woods and the road took a turn downwards.
It was quite steep going down but a lot steeper coming back up again. The birch woods were a delight with lichens to be seen on every tree.

On the other side of the river, commercial conifer planting sweeps inexorably down the hill.
I reached the flat beside the Tarras Water and stopped a while to enjoy the rippling sound of the river…
…and to have a little rest before tackling the uphill section back to the car.
I had to stop to take a picture or two as I went up the hill as I was anxious not to overdo things. A lichen on a slender tree trunk made me think of my knee for some reason.
And I stepped into the wood to snap a mossy clearing with a mysterious boulder.
I managed to go slowly enough to get back to the car without difficulty and was very pleased with how well my knee went.
Later in the day though, my muscles in both legs felt as though I had walked miles rather than a few hundred yards.
When I got back, we had another go at the front room and made very good progress. My back had been much better ever since I got up and I was a bit worried about annoying it but the worst seems to be past and a little light lifting hasn’t done it any harm that I can feel yet.
I have been able to cut down my painkillers to a few paracetamol a day which is a great relief and if things go as they are, I should soon be able to do without them too. If I could just get a good night’s sleep, I would be a happy man. But then I wouldn’t have anything to complain about so I would be sad.
In the evening, Sandy took me across to Newcastleton where we attended a Liddesdale Camera Club meeting. The visiting adjudicator was commenting on our entries in the “Colour” competition. He was very complimentary about all the entries and I think that the prints in particular were of a good standard. In view of that, I was not too unhappy to fail to catch his eye when the prizes were dished out and correspondingly, Sandy was very pleased to get a well deserved second and a third.
The flying bird of the day is a very vocal chaffinch.
Well I think you deserve a prize, Tom.
Not with the pictures that I entered.
A prize for the hill outing.
Very entertaining post. Great to see you out and about again and glad to hear that your knee held up ok. Those blue tits certainly do have it made and that hide looks like it will hold a coach load!
I am looking forward to using it when it is finished.
Whenever I have used an exercise bike I never seem to cycle far as I find it so boring and therefore, tiring! When outside in the fresh air with things to see and progressing along instead of being stationary I am sure you will do very well and will soon be cycling miles with very little effort. I love the photos of the mossy clearing and the colourful trees.
I am quite relaxed about cycling nowhere indoors. I used to go to a gym and pedal for an hour on occasion. It is much more fun outside though.
Wonderful bug hotel! And as for the wooden knee…
Is that boulder what they call an erratic, do you know? Left behind by retreating ice?
It might well be an erratic as there are others round about.
Birch trees are a great place to find lichens here too, but I’ve never seen them that covered by them.
I like the shot of the mossy clearing. That boulder might have some interesting lichens and mosses on it.
It was very gloomy in the wood. I will try to remember to look again if I pass by on a brighter day.
Tom, I’m glad to hear you are out and about and that your back is feeling a bit better!
Thank you, Lynda. I hope that you too are making some progress.
I am, thank you, Tom!
That’s good.
The bright greens of your January countryside are positively cheerful.
I was thinking just that as I walked along the road. There is still time for things to get bleaker though before spring comes.
I enjoyed seeing the mossy roof photo your daughter took, and the very stern looking redpoll at the feeder. The mysterious boulder makes me want to serach around, look for buried treasure as it certainly looks like a long lost marker. Glad you’re walking about more and more.
I thought that it looked like a good place for a tryst.
Delightful as always. There is something about your blog that brings comfort to the soul.
I often reflect on my good fortune so it is good if some of it rubs off a little.
I loved the high cloud, the Tarras water and the lichen that looked like your knee. Glad all your ailments are progressing albeit not fast enough.
Good news about the knee and the back. Great pictures of sights seen on your walk.
Too many good photos to chose from today, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the one of the Tarras Water.
It was very pleasant to be beside the river.
So many things I enjoyed about this post! First off, I adored that close-up of the pigeon! 🙂 Also, that blind looks fab and I would love to visit your moorland feeders, that looks like an amazing place! Those blue tits are a delight. Your landscapes were lovely today and I was happy to tag along with you on your walk. Thank you for providing an escape from the drab and dreary scenery outside my window!
It was surprisingly cheerful up there considering what a generally soggy day it was.
Sorry I somehow got unsubscribed but I am back again. Love the tits. And your outing photos are beautiful. Are you finding slowing down, as frustrating as it is, affords you more time to pay attention? I will think of that lichen now whenever my knee reminds me of it.
I can’t idle about as I would wish as the knee gets just as tired from standing as it does from walking and of course I can’t hop up and down banks when I see something that need further investigation. The knee tree was right next to the road.
Yes I found out about the standing during dress rehearsal & choir performance. I thought I’d never move again.
I live in a fidgety world at the moment, standing, sitting, walking and even lying down are all momentary pleasures. But…things are improving.
I like the knee tree lichen, I can see how your mind was working there. I’m sure when you’re out on the bike it will be easier with scenery to distract you.
That bug hotel fascinated me. I fear if I did one, it would fill up with little slugs and snails.
The knee lichen made me smile.