are still at it, joined from time to time by the various Blue, Great and Long tailed Tits that make up the local small bird gang!

So this will be my last 'proper' post this side of my trip, i depart early doors on Saturday, returning @ a fortnight later with a stopover in Sheffield on the way back which may give me some interweb access.

It's been a fairly busy week, today for example i've been preparing the greenhouse and garden for my absence, adding more snap to my supplies (the load gets lighter as i go along of course) and washing bedding.

Yesterday i went out for what was supposed to be a shorter ride which ended up at nearly 900m of up squeezed into 108km! I had been planning on more like 70/80km but a closed road required a diversion which added @ 20km and a school avoidance route on the last leg added the rest. It was a bright day if a bit cooler and windier than ideal but i was well chuffed to see a couple of Goldfinches on the diversion and a trio of Yellowhammers as i headed back through the fields later on. I hadn't seen a Yellowhammer in all the time i've been in Brizzle so that was especially nice.

I'll be doing some mapping when i finish this missive, the roads northwards are 90% new to me and even the area of Yorkshire i'm going to i don't know well, the last time i spent much time there was over 40 years ago! So yes, i have paper mapping and phone mapping so i'll know where i am but todays exercise will tell me where i should be. It will take me four days to reach my stop in Swaledale, each day will be between 100 and 140km and in total its @ 4000m of up including several significant 'passes' once i reach the Dales.

I will have a short spin tomorrow, a final shakedown, Friday will see the final packing ready for departure on Saturday. All 6 campsites are booked for a total of 9 nights under canvas up to Sheffield.

Patreon supporters can get the sixth free instalment of the guide this evening.

Thats it for this side of the trip, so for now,
Tschussie,
Madeline Anafrid