ricketyrambler

Monday 8th June 2015 Hello Lovely day today!  Summer I think! We decided to take a walk around Coverack as Mr RR is on the hunt for driftwood and sometimes has some luck along this coast.  We walked here back in April – starting off with ice-cream if you remember.  We didn’t do that today though, just set off for the coast with sun in our faces and a light breeze to keep us cool. Unfortunately I was feeling extra rickety today, having spent yesterday altering curtains and making cushion covers (yes – they look lovely!). This was probably not the walk to do with aching shoulders and sore arms, it’s very rocky and there are a lot of stiles!  I struggled a bit and had to come home and sit in the sun for several hours afterwards. About halfway round I suddenly realised that my (new) camera wasn’t working properly. I just couldn’t get it to focus on anything!  Eventually I confessed to Mr RR and he had a look and fiddled with lots of dials and things and agreed there seemed to be a problem.  And then, while I was wondering how I was going to cope without a camera in my life while it went off to the manufacturer to be mended, Mr RR  calmly got a cloth out of his pocket and cleaned the suncream off the lens!  After that it was perfect! By the way, yesterday a baby Jackdaw landed in our garden and was obviously unwell.  It stood very still for ages and ages, and then eventually hopped about a bit.  The parents spent the morning circling overhead calling it, but it didn’t seem to want to move much.  Then…early in the afternoon it suddenly took off over the fence and smacked into next doors’ wall – aah poor thing.  Here’s a picture of him/her – such sad blue eyes:

Anyway – enjoy reading about the rambles and sorry for the blurry photos!

RR xx

---

Coverack Circular via Lowland Point (5 miles) We started at Roskilly’s with a quick look at the goats and chickens on the little farm, before heading around the corner towards the quarry and down over the hill to the coast.It’s a long tree lined path downhill alongside the quarry,

overgrown in places due to the sudden warm weather recently, and we had to fight our way through hedgerow and stinging nettles for part of the way. We saw a dead shrew lying on the track, unmarked, so not sure what he died from – Mr RR kindly moved him to the grass so he didn’t get trodden on.  I did take a picture in case you haven’t seen a shrew before – but if you don’t like looking at dead things……skip the next picture!

I also caught sight of a single orchid over the fence on the quarry land – I couldn’t get close enough for a good look or a smell (and my camera wouldn’t focus properly from where I was) but it’s possibly a Common Fragrent Orchid.  These are found on chalky or limestone soils, flower in June and July and produce a sweet, orangey smell.

We turn right at the bottom of the hill and head along the coast across Lowland Point towards Coverack.  Mr RR is looking for driftwood on the way, whilst I’m fiddling with the camera convinced there’s something wrong with it!

We pass the rotted remains of an enormous dead sea creature – probably a whale – no pictures this time as it was pretty gross and it smelled horrid too, poor thing.

Moving on quickly we spot a trio of curlews (a Curfew of Curlews) down on the beach.  They’re easily spooked and make a quick getaway as I’m trying to get the camera focussed, and then a group of cormorants  – a Swim of Cormorants – perched on a rock in the sea:

and shortly afterwards Mr RR jumps down onto the rocky beach in pursuit of driftwood

and I ramble on along the coast path… trying to capture the local flora on camera:

And this – the Common Valerian:

Despite being ‘common’ this is a really pretty little flower, always on a single unbranched stem but with a triple flower head.  The flowers are pink in bud and white when open with 5 round petals and straggly stamen protruding from the flowers. During the first world war the juice of the fresh valerian root was used to calm people who had been upset by air-raids and for many years before that herbalists had used the juice as a sedative for epileptics.  In the 17th century the famous herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recommended its use for ‘nervous affectations’ such as headache, palpitations and hysteria.

We walk on along the coast path, Mr RR with a  backpack full of driftwood, through the little wooded area where it’s quite muddy still and up the hill to the path which leads into Coverack itself.  Before reaching the village however, we turn inland and uphill. Through woods full of lichen covered rocks and ancient trees and across many granite stiles (why must they make them so high?) until we emerge into open fields being grazed by……..you’ve guessed it…..very large, horned, brown cows with their calves!  At first we backtrack, wondering if there’s an alternative route, but no such luck.  So we start walking towards them.  They’re clustered together right across the path which runs through the middle of the field:

and stop to stare as we move towards them.  Three of the calves are gathered around the gate that we are heading for as well.  I suggest to Mr RR that we walk to the left keeping close to the hedgerow….’Oh yes’, he says…’and you’re going to say hello to those two under the trees are you?’ and there, tucked under the trees in the shade are two of the biggest brown cows I ever did see!  So….nothing for it but to walk nonchalantly through the middle.  Well, Mr RR walks nonchalantly, I clutch his elbow fiercely so he can’t get ahead of me, keep my head down and scurry!  Fortunately as we get near the gate the three calves run away and we can climb over the stile and step safely down onto the other side from where I can take a picture so you can see how brave I’ve been!As you can see they’re only curious, nothing to get worried about at all.

We walk on, with a cup of tea at Roskilly’s in mind, temporarily losing our way in one field

before backtracking and crossing yet another stile and heading towards the road which leads down to the farm.

---

Associated artwork for Ricketyrambler by Mr RR:

http://www.andrewmajorart.co.uk

http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/Andrew-Major