The 'owl hut'

Several things on the list to do for today, but good intentions abandoned by lunchtime. Chilly but very still, just right for a walk!

We had intended to do the first part of the 'Humbleton round', and went up through the village but then decided to follow the less-used track up past the 'owl hut'. It's a derelict hut, possibly an old shepherd's hut, on the hillside, within a piece of fenced-off land. We've often wondered what it was used for - maybe a smallholding, but nobody seems to know. I think of it as the 'owl hut' as barn owls nested in it a couple of years ago, and we used to watch them coming and going. Sadly none this year.

Coffee and chocolate biscuits half way, before walking over the hill to Earle and back along the road. Just over 8km, but a lovely varied walk.

Lots of other people out walking and who could blame them on a nice afternoon in late November. Never seen so many people on these hills though! Unlike the first lockdown, when there were restrictions on people travelling for exercise, we suspect that lots of people had driven quite a distance to get here, and cars were dotted around all over the place. Some of them seemed rather ill-prepared, including a group of five who marched past us as we paused for a (distanced) chat with an acquaintance. A short while later, going in the opposite direction, they asked directions to the car park - apparently they had no map, and Google maps wasn't being very helpful!

Looked in to YouTube for short times on and off during the day. Well done to my son Tom and a friend who raised a considerable amount of money for the NSPCC by taking part in a 24-hour retro-gaming session. (I had forgotten those awful, repetitive tunes on Super Mario...) The extra shows their relief with a few seconds to go!

Lockdown 2, day 24