Today’s guest picture shows Lincoln Cathedral, seen from the Castle walls. It was taken by my sister Mary on a recent visit.
We woke to heavy rain and strong winds but as Mrs Tootlepedal and my sister Susan went off to church and I spent the time inside sorting out the framing of my pictures for the exhibition, we didn’t much mind the weather. The forecast correctly predicted that the skies would clear by eleven and it soon turned into a reasonable if breezy day.
During this period, I dialled the number for the customer services for my phone supplier with some trepidation, a good book and an easy chair to hand and was stunned to get the whole problem sorted out in a few minutes. Perhaps firms have finally learned that annoying their customers is not good business. I even got £10 taken of my next bill.
As well as my sister, we were visited by my older son Tony and his partner Marianne, who stopped off on their way back to Edinburgh from a weekend in the Lake District. The hotel that they stayed in allows guests to bring one dog and they had taken one of their three dogs with them. Tara was very excited when she came into the house but calmed down when I promised to take her photograph.
She sat well for the portrait.
Tony is always looking to be helpful. Last time he visited, he plastered a wall and today he got a ladder out and cleared a leaking and blocked gutter along the back of the house for us in no time. What with getting computer advice from one and home improvement from the other, we are very well off for useful sons
They didn’t stay for lunch as Tony had work to see to when they got back home.
With all this excitement, I didn’t pick up a camera until the early afternoon and didn’t even have time for a leisurely garden tour. I took one picture of the new peony, which had survived the overnight rain well…..
….and had a couple of quick looks out of the kitchen window….


…before I went off to the church fête with Susan and Mrs Tootlepedal.
There was plenty of music at the fête, as both the town’s brass band….…and the pipe band….
….were playing, though not at the same time.
As you can see, the fête was blessed with fine weather and after having spent a little money, I left Mrs Tootlepedal and Susan to walk home and took myself off along the path by the river with Pocketcam in hand.
This path has been subject to a number of small landslides over the past few years and I was interested to see a lot of new planting….
…on the unstable bank above the path. I peered into some of the tubes to see what plants they held but was none the wiser. I imagine it will be shrubs with good root systems to help hold the bank together.
I was still looking at the right hand side of the path, where there were interesting little plants like this….
…when to my great surprise I found myself sitting at path level with one leg doubled up beneath me. I was mystified for a moment as to how this unexpected state of affairs had come about and, more importantly, where my other leg was but all became plain when I noticed that my un-doubled up leg was sticking straight down into a large hole on the left hand side of the path which I had failed to notice.
Two things were good about this. One was that my new knee was on the straight leg and the hole was so deep that my foot was hanging in fresh air and my knee had not got banged at all. The other was that my doubled up leg had gone straight down and not twisted and rather to my surprise, I was able to get up and walk rather gingerly onwards.
I learned in my hill running days that if you can keep going after a fall, you can often walk off minor sprains and strains so I continued round Easton’s Walk, trying not to limp.
I paid a little more attention to the path than to the wild flowers beside it on this part of my walk but I didn’t meet any more large holes. I did see some pretty roses in the hedge.
I was wondering whether it would be a good idea to extend my walk to aid recovery when a look across a field made up my mind for me….
I took a picture of a plant growing out of the park wall as I went past. It has an unusually high stem to flower ratio. The flowers are so few and so small that you can hardly see them at all.
Along the way, I noticed that my thumb was a bit sore and when I checked Pocketcam, I found that the viewing screen had been cracked and realised that I must have hit the ground with the camera in my hand when I fell. The crack doesn’t seem to have affected the camera’s working parts and I am keeping my fingers crossed (with some light groaning) that the accident won’t have any long term bad effects on Pocketcam…..or my thumb.
A sore ankle, thumb and hip are lingering mementoes of my lack of concentration and we will have to see what tomorrow brings in the way of aches and pains but I am walking about quite freely and was able to make omelettes for our tea without any trouble so I am hoping for the best.
An excursion to Hadrian’s Wall with Susan is planned for tomorrow and I will try not to fall over while we are there.
The flying bird of the day is a goldfinch.
Yikes! When you started to describe your descent into the Hobbit hole, I could hardly bear to read on in case you suffered a serious injury. Very glad things seem to be stiff but not seriously hurt – a bath in Epsom salts may be in order tonight! Do take care.
I did have a bath and it was beneficial.
I hope there are no lingering aches from the fall. They really should mark that hole or better yet, fill it in. I’ve actually done the same thing 3 times over the last couple of years without being hurt, but it is surprising when it happens!
I also hope the camera will still function. It certainly took some fine photos on this trip.
It will be hard to fill as the river bank has collapsed under the path and there is no bottom to build up from.
Hope you’re OK. 😉
Surviving. 🙂
Good to hear. I’d miss that camera of yours…
I’m glad that you’re okay! I hope that the pocket cam continues to work also. I wasn’t paying attention while trying to photograph a bird a while back, and stepped backwards over the edge of the path and out into three feet of nothing, ending flat on my back in the gully. Who knew that photography was dangerous?
I’ll tell Mrs Tootlepedal of your adventure and maybe she won’t think that I am uniquely stupid after all.
I hope you recover well and quickly from your fall. What a nasty surprise! You saw some very pretty flowers on your walk.
They were a consolation,
You had me worried at the beginning of your description of the hole incident! I immediately thought about your knee. I’m so glad that it wasn’t damaged after all this time of taking such good care of it. I do hope the pocket cam still works and your aches and pain disappear quickly. As Jerry wrote, who knew that photography could be dangerous. As long as we don’t fall off a cliff! The close-ups of the flowers are beautiful so thank you. When I read the title “Putting my foot down” I had no idea I didn’t expect it to have a literal meaning.
I try my hardest to keep well away from cliffs!
Was the offending hole man made or “just one of those things”? Glad you suffered no serious injury, we’ll cross our fingers, too, that neither pocket cam or your thumb suffer any as yet undetected ailments. How unfair when you were just ambling along,taking time to smell the flowers.
Just one of those things. It is a path that is well used to small calamities so I should have been paying more attention.
Was worried when you started your description of the hole. Hope the various injuries recover quickly. Liked the picture of the threatening skies.
Knowing from first hand that your ankle, at least, has not recovered well from the fall I do hope you have not done anything too serious to it. That peony is some bloom.
I’m not really a doggy person, but Tara is adorable – as are the tartans! Very relieved that there was no lasting damage from your sinking experience.
Oh, I’ve just read Susan’s post…
No lasting damage.
Tara is a handsome mongrel, there is no denying that.
A brass band and pipe band playing simultaneously would make an intimidating parade.
There is music arranged for just that purpose.
I somehow suspected there would be.
If you haven’t heard Highland Cathedral you can find it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnqSgn1OgLE
Goodness, I am hoping that you aren’t experiencing any lingering affects from your fall. That must have been a bit frightening!
Oh my, your guest photo today is incredible! Kudos to your sister for that shot!
I also loved the peony – such stunning color and the delicacy of the petals, beautiful!
It was surprising rather than frightening because it happened so quickly. It was a good picture of Lincoln Leatherdale, I agree.
Sorry to read about your fall. There is a dangerous side to photography, it’s the concentration that takes over as we chase the perfect pic.
Beautiful Lincoln Cathedral.
Good photos as usual. Lincoln is a beautiful city.
Thank goodness you are all right after that fall!
I was very fortunate.
That would have given you quite a shock Mr T! Hope all is well with the joints and that pocketcam can just have the screen replaced cheaply down the line.
It is working with a broken screen so perhaps I will just leave well alone.
You are amazing and an inspiration … not that I am looking to follow you walking into holes. I’ve seen from your more recent posts that you are healing up well and I am glad for that!
I am hoping not to walk into any more myself.
Ouch!!
Ouch indeed.
Glad to hear your leg and knee did not get twisted. Take care.
I was most relieved. I shall endeavour to look before I leap (or fall) next time.
Lovely field of yellow. Also, can relate with your fall, having stepped into an open trapdoor in a linen supply closet. Maintenance had been working beneath the building the previous day. It was quite shocking to find myself with one leg dangling in the hole, the foot of the other almost at eye level, an elbow and hip preventing me from total descent. The fall was very disorienting. I did go on to finish the work day, though parts of my body turned colors that should never be seen on a body.
That sounds more alarming than my experience. Fortunately there was little chance of me falling through the hole in the path.
Ouch. I had to read back as I have been a laggard. So fortunate you did not twist anything, indeed. Injured but undaunted, you continued to take pictures. Doesn’t it seem the most intriguing, beautiful places are lurking with danger? I love the abstract plant.
This was a very unstable path. I should have been paying more attention.
Im so glad your knee was ok. If it’s any consolation I seem to be quite good at falling over and don’t even need any holes to trip me up, a little twig or stone will do the job just fine.
That is no consolation I am afraid but take care of yourself.
That was a shocker and certainly explains why you had some lingering effects. So sorry that happened.