Something stoatally different

I decided to walk somewhere close by but different today so headed to Addingham for a walk over the moors to Skipton. I met a chap on the way heading out with five little dogs. We had a natter but then all was quite.

I'd taken a photo in Addingham of three guys washing windows which I thought would make quite a nice mono shot but this little fellow decided that wasn't to be.

I'd been trying to get closer to some goldfinches perched on seed heads so my big lens was already tucked under my arm. As we approached a road, I was thinking how the countryside was pleasant but a little dull for landscapes so I'd keep on the same lens.

Going through a metal gate to cross the road, a rabbit was hurtling down the lane towards us. Little Dog (on a lead) thought she'd dive in and I wasn't best pleased but she did let go pretty quickly with my sharp words and the rabbit made its escape into the field. When I looked up, I saw this stoat staring at me and realised the rabbit had run to us for protection (sorry little rabbit - we weren't much use there).

I crouched down and watched it. To my surprise, it too started haring towards us. It paused for a couple of moments and continued towards us, past us, down the lane and stopped again not that far away.

The noise of an approaching car finally brought to an end a very special moment in the day. We headed into Skipton (where the bus timetables, unlike the other day, had clarity), sunbathed a while and caught the bus back.

The only thing I had my heart set on was a cheese toastie and coffee in an outdoor cafe. But I couldn't find one.

You can't have everything all the time