The unexpected

I'd long ago given up seeing hares on our moors. 

It was a stunning morning - still and warming up, no hat required. I'd just spent a good few minutes enjoying watching a meadow pipit own a rock, take off, fly up and glide down like a toy parachute with its matching descending song.  It was hard to walk away but once I had, a small running dog caught my eye in the distance. 
That's no dog!

It's not an extreme close up - I'd love one of those too  but for now, it rekindles the feelings of another entrancing moment on the moors.  

There was plenty to see, particularly when we reached the reservoir, with a red kite, curlew and three oyster catchers sweeping over the water. Along with those, there was oodles of frogspawn and the most wonderful ripples across the still water as a mallard landed.

The acrid smell of burnt heather took me to troubles overseas but gave me another reason to hang on to our walks with nature.