A walk on a snowy day

One of the best things about living the Upper Swaledale is having the Dales at my doorstep. Going on a hike simply requires me to throw on a bit of right gear and off I go. My fav little place to walk to is from Thwaite to Muker via the Penninesway. Walking thru Usha gap was hilarious because the sheep started chasing me as I walked thru the field with a little bag. They certainly thought it was food and I was absolutely certain that they thought it was funny watching a human running away.

Swaledale sheep are such majestic creatures to behold from far but rather scary as they come a little closer. This day, I spotted a tup amongst the ladies and I knew to trot away quickly.

The awesome tup looked rather pleased with himself, bearing his intricate curly horns that looked like some sort of a crown. He reminded me of a king sitting in the middle of his kingdom, proud, strong and sowing his oats.

All the ewes were marked by his color, bearing the symbol of his stock. I wonder what if feels like to be one of those ? Thank God I am a human. Another random thought.

Even on a grey day, as my eyes gaze above me I wonder how on earth did I come to live here? I treasure this time that I have been given to love this place. My family, my community.

As a Singaporean of course I long for my birth home sometimes, but I am beginning to see that the tup and his kingdom have started to give me this sense of belonging in upper Swaledale.