Day 39 Baldersale to Langdon Beck

Unfortunately no ghost sighting but even more disappointing, no baby owl although there was hooting in the night. Looks as if it has poured overnight and still raining this morning. Crossed Blackton Reservoir but stopped shortly afterwards toad spotting. Across wet fields (no chance that feet are going to stay dry) and then across very soggy Mickleton Moor. It was extremely slow going trying to avoid the worst of the boggy patches and there was also a lot of standing water. On through several farm fields were signs told me to "stick to footpath and keep in single file". Dropped down through a small copse to cross Graffholme reservoir. Muddy fields greeted me so more careful negotiation. Although I's already left Herriot country I had an amazing experience at Wythef Hill Farm where a vet was in the process of delivering a HUGE bull calf via cesarean - quite a raw and mucky process but incredible to watch although neither the cow of the calf looked overly impressed! All the little uns are so much younger up North. After yet more fields of bleating sheep (I've worked out that the ewes appear to moult their Winter fleece rather than being sheared as they are starting to look a tag on the scruffy side with chunks of Winter wool falling out to reveal a sleeker coat underneath) before a fab downhill over grass all the way down into Middleton -in - Teesdale where I stopped in a cafe for coffee and tuna sarnies. The staff were really interested in my journey and apparently there are a couple of guys 2 - 3 days ahead who are also going to John O'Groats but not arriving there until the end of July so I should meet and pass them at some point.

I've now started to head West rather than North as there is a big hill that you can't go over and have to go round. By now it has stopped raining so jacket's off. The second part of today was fab along the bank of the river Tees. Almost every field was full of a brilliant array of meadow flowers : yellow,white,blue,pink against the lush green grass. There were zillions of rabbits all scampering away from me back to the safety of their burrows. Whilst the morning had been the turn of the moorland birds that I had got so used to, now the river dwellers were back again : grey wagtails (who are actually yellow!), robins, blackbirds, ducks, heron, swifts and swallows. There were also lapwings in the meadows and after a continued display of diving by one pair I saw the tiny bundle of brown feathers just beyond the fence that they were trying to get me away from. Looks as if the young learn from a very early age to stay motionless. There were two lovely waterfalls -Low and High Falls, the latter is England's largest with a drop of 21m. After passing a working quarry it was then up and over Bracken Rigg a strange hillside covered with juniper bushes fenced to keep sheep out but the path between them was very higgledy piggledy fashion. Afterwards the way was conveniently flagged before dropping down to Harwood Beck where after negotiating a stony bank of the sidestream it was then a simple run up a farm track to Langdon Beck Youth Hostel but nit before I spied a young snipe in the grass - I definitely need to get in touch with Bill Oddie! Walking into the YH, a couple waiting to register also knew all about me...Kerry and Nancy are doing a sterling promotion job!

Cooked my own tea tonight and low and behold look who has just arrived, David and Marilyn...apparently they were having a coffee break when I overtook them this morning.

Mileage 15.63 Time 4.11