Rambling Russells

After a fine week, we decided to have a day off from gardening to head to Mossdale and the Raiders Road. A peaceful place but we always see some wildlife, sometimes we are lucky enough to photograph some of it !!   As a railway viaduct the track is reasonably flat and parts are sheltered and others exposed creating a variety of habitats.    We could hear the birds singing but with the trees coming into full leaf, it was difficult to find them.                 A first for this location was the Red Kite.     The red truck on the dismantled railtrack was a bit unexpected too!!   There's always something to see along the Raider's Road.   

We heard that Day Ranger Rail tickets on the Settle - Carlisle line were ½ price for a limited time because of the recent landslips and line closures so we planned a day out with friends. Good weather was forecast and everything went smoothly with getting tickets and using Railcard. We caught the train at Carlisle at about 9 o'clock and enjoyed the scenery and various stations along the route.  After about 2 hours on the train (and 72 miles travelled) the sun was still shining and we were ready for morning refreshments.       Just outside Settle station is the Old Water Tower which has been turned into a dwelling and featured on a reality TV programme during it's conversion. The owners allow the general public around the outside of the property to view the garden.          The ladies were keen to get inside the Naked Man (café), infamous in Settle. Very efficient ...