Today’s guest picture comes from ex Archive Group member Ken. He visited Cragside and found a splendid Archimedes screw. The Archimedes screw is a 17m long galvanised turbine weighing several tonnes. Last year, it produced 21,000kwh, providing Cragside with around 4% of its electricity.

I intended to go cycling today, starting as early as possible. Sub zero temperatures and a reluctance of the thermometer to get on with climbing up the scale meant that it was after coffee time when I finally got going. And it was still quite chilly then, in spite of some cheerful sunshine in the garden.

I had time to watch a chaffinch and a redpoll approach the feeder with caution . . .


. . . and check out the results of the enthusiastic moss scarifying activities of the jackdaws.

My cycling route took me due south to Longtown . . .

. . . and through the little town of Brampton . . .

. . .up and over the Carlisle-Newcastle railway line . . .

. . . and into mellow farming country above the Eden valley . . .

. . . along the side of the fells.

The sun had been doing its best to shine, but the sky was getting hazier all the time and the light was beginning to go when I looked towards the west.

The road that I was on, wound along the side of the hill . . .

. . . continuing to climb gently upwards. I was happy to make a small diversion into the village of Cumrew where I found that they had very surprising lampposts, a fine monkey puzzle tree . . .

. . . and a stocky church, still in the business of providing religion to the people.

I wish that the light had been a bit better, as there were expansive views over the fields towards the Lake District hills . . .

. . . but by the time that I came near to my point of return after 32 miles, the haze had taken over half the sky . . .

. . . and ten minutes later, when I had eaten a snack, the sun had gone entirely for the rest of of my ride. I might have gone a little bit further but a sign indicating a descent at 11% suggested that I had gone far enough. I had been climbing steadily for the 10 miles since Brampton, and I didn’t want to start my return with another stiff climb.
The way back to Brampton was a different business. I not only had the light wind behind me but I had Sir Isaac Newton’s gravity on my side as well. I knocked off the next fifteen miles in an hour.
I stopped at Newtown on the Roman wall with twenty miles to go, and gave myself a much needed ten minute break and another snack as I sat on my favourite bench and admired the old pump surrounded by daffodils.

The fairly flat miles back to Langholm were undemanding, and with the light wind still behind me, I made my way home in good order.
The program on my computer which records my ride promises to reward me with a digital smile if I do at least one ride of 100 km each month. As this ride was 104km, I got my smile. It is a bit absurd to use a meaningless collection of 0s and 1s to motivate yourself, but to be fair, Mrs Tootlepedal gave me a smile when I got back too.
Less amusing was the fact that we had to give the car a wash and brush up as it is going into the garage in Carlisle for an MOT tomorrow.
I noticed that the jackdaw lawn scarifying team were in action again . . .

. . . and doing a little strutting too.

We had a nutritous meal of slow cooked lamb stew for our evening meal for which I had worked up quite a good appetite.
The flying bird of the day is a redpoll.

Footnote: I was able to do this enjoyable ride on a Sunday when the roads are quiet because neither the church choir nor our Carlisle choir had a meeting today.
Great photos. The jackdaws are lovely birds, despite their insistence on scarifying the lawn – always a job I hated when I was being paid to do gardens.
I am quite happy to let them do the work, They seem to just peck up the moss and leave what grass there is alone.
They must have their reasons . . .
Leatherjackets probably.
That’s a very ecological lawn – providing food for jackdaws and conversation for bloggers.
I used to be a short grass obsessive but I am more relaxed now.
If it’s green and vaguely grassy, it will do for me.
The rocks on the river bottom at Longtown have lovely colours and shapes. Another ride through very beautiful country – deserving of the computer’s smile regardless of the mileage!
The rocks in the river at Longtown are very striking, you are right. I love to look at them when I stop for a breather.
Sorry about no choir practice, but it must have been nice to ride on quiet roads.
It was very nice. I missed the choir though.
Your title made me wonder if you had fallen somewhere. I’m glad it wasn’t that.
That was a great view of the river.
I thought the other views were good too, despite the haze. It looked to be a fine day for a ride.
It was a very good day for a ride though my old muscles would have liked it to be a bit warmer, especially at the start of the ride.
I was very taken by the market cross in Brampton, well done for cycling so far..
Enjoyed the pictures along your ride. Well done for such an energetic outing.
Those jackdaws have certainly been busy.
The scarifying crew seems to be nearly done. Now you will have to look for someone to rake that moss together and put it into bin A. 🙂
I found just the man but we don’t put moss in our compost bin as it takes so long to break down.
what a lovely variety of pictures.
Thank you. I enjoyed cycling somewhere a bit different from my usual haunts.
You made good use of the sun while you had it
It was lucky that choir was cancelled (though I wouldn’t normally say that).
Your jackdaws seem to take their scarifying activities very seriously.
Your weather looks beautiful there, even in filtered sunlight, especially in those views. We are in a cool rainy phase here with a winter weather advisory this week.
I was pleased to get a relatively warm, relatively sunny, pretty windless, dry day. They have been few and far between.
You made the best use of a choir cancellation and the abundant, if fleeting, sunshine. Thanks for the Jackdaw photos. I admire their determination and your tolerance thereof.
I don’t have many options as far as the jackdaws go. 🙂
Lovely cycle ride. I like the views and that old pump with the daffs around it. Those jackdaws are wonderful with such attitude! Look on the bright side they must be aerating your lawn!
The jackdaws are saving me some work but I fear that I will still have to get the mechanical scarifier out.
Well done getting your months bike miles in one day,,does that now entitle you to rest up the remainder of the month ? 😊
I doubt it .
Some great shots along the journey as well 👍
I did a very very short ride on Sunday as I’ve been having some trouble with my breathing even on what I would once have considered as fairly easy little hills..I’ve had a few colds recently which could be a contributing factor,,but going to get myself properly checked out anyway.
It’s very frustrating to say the least.
Like your views of the Lake District hills.
It is well worth while to get breathing problems checked. I can see how frustrating it must be to find that you can’t make good use of a fine day.
I am aiming for 350 miles a month on average throughout the year so I am quite well behind my schedule. I just hope for some kind weather in the summer months.