"All Around the Wrekin", or, "The long way round"....

The Wrekin is a well known landmark hill and is easy to find despite the unhelpful signs.
At 1335 feet it is a bit of a slog, but pretending to admire the view halfway up allows you to catch your breath. It really doesn't help your self esteem, when, as you slowly puff your way ever upwards, local athletes using the climb as part of their training come bounding past like gazelles....
As I got ever higher the view unfurled itself, mist draped across the valleys.
'The Wrekin' is a corruption of the ancient English 'Uriconion', a Celtic name.
For some time after the Norman invasions it was called Mount Gilbert after a hermit that once resided on its slopes.
The summit is occupied by an iron age hill fort thought to be built by the Cornovii tribe, the same people that created the huge fort of 'Castle Ring' in Cannock Chase. The Wrekin was their capital.
To the West, the tips of the Welsh mountains poked through the low cloud.
We sat atop the sun warmed rock peak eagerly awaiting the spectical of the sunset.
I'd hoped to get a great photo of the hills, mist filled valley and perhaps the snaking glint of the meandering River Severn in the golden evening light, but the clouds rose and obscured the view.
We drank our flasked coffee and nibbled some Hazelnuts I'd roasted on a small fire.
Homeward bound, the toposcope more helpful than the local signs, we headed off....

Not much done, in the winter sun....

There's not much been going on lately. Hardly enough daylight to have any adventures, but the sun being so low in the sky does have its bonuses..... beautiful sunsets. Although this scene appears idyllic with the oak and hay stack on a lonely hill, it was in fact masked by the roar of cars hurtling past on the M6 motorway.... a picture tells a thousand words but not necessarily the truth!

Competing with the noise of the road, this passenger jet rumbled as it streaked across the sky, its vapour trail illuminating in the sunlight like a comets tail.

The birds flew West, heading to the sanctuary of the local lakes.

They always seem to head out East in the morning and return to the West come evening. I don't know the reason for this, maybe having the sun in front makes navigation simpler, or perhaps they appreciate the sun rise/ set too.

You really feel the temperature plummet as the sun retreats this time of year....roll on spring.

Personally I'd be tucking those feet into my feathers!

When it's cold and crisp like this, the vapour trails from the airliners linger for hours.

I'm hoping it's going to be clear the next few nights as there is a meteor shower due. Eyes to the skies, especially on Friday.

I've noticed an awful lot of military jets lately. These were unusually coming from the direction of the local city civilian airport.

Normally they stay well away from passenger jet flight paths. They were in an almighty hurry and I had next to no time to snatch a quick photo. Makes you wonder what they're up to.

The day came to an end as the ribs of multi coloured cloud painted their fading scene in the dimming sky....