New Year on Dundry

It was a sunny second of January in Bristol so I decided to carpere the lucem and go out for a walk with the hound. New Year forays are all the better for having a bit of a view, so we headed for Dundry right on the southern edge of the city.

Unsuprisingly, given its dominance of the skyline, the Church is dedicated to St Michael. Here's a glimpse of the view from the churchyard.

These days my favourite tomb up there is so overhung by holly that it's covered in moss. It's not as easy to make out the carved, apotropaic outlines of shoes as it once was ... 

... which might be why there was a Father Christmas perched on one end of it. Got to strike the fear of God into all those evil spirits somehow. 

In less sheltered spots it was still a bit frosty, though the sun was having a good go at melting it. 

Just as I was admiring the spectacular views from Dundry Down ... 

... a muckspreader turned up. The smell of slurry has never bothered me but this was something else. Ted and I hurried on our way ...

... and dived over a stone stile just as it came back up our side of the field. 

Barrow Gurney reservoirs













In Little Down Wood I saw a man lurking by a rabbit warren. As I hurried past, talking a bit too cheerily to Ted, I noticed he was holding a somewhat diabolical-looking albino ferret clutched to his chest, and that all the exit holes bar one in the warren had been covered with bright green and yellow nets. Happy New Year, rabbits.

Walking back up to the village, I spotted a consternation of jackdaws and rooks up in the tall trees. Then I noticed what they'd already heard ...

... the circumlocutory mew of a buzzard as it looped closer and closer.