A-hikin' again, o'er Crickley

We're back from a great trip home to both Ottawa and Halifax. We got to hang out with Kae, see Mullet Rock play the Rainbow, and celebrate an early Robbie Burns' Day with Joe and Christine (and lots of old friends) -- barely 24 hours before the birth of their first child, James Ian MacDonald, as it turned out! Then it was off to the east coast to share good food and times with our families.

We were up nice 'n' early this morning, hoping to speed along our adjusting to the time zone. The rain had stopped by 9 a.m., so we decided to get out for a bit of exercise. It was also a good excuse for Tea to try out her new camera: a Canon EOS Rebel T1i DSLR.

Grey though the day may've been, many made it out to the Crickley Hill Country Park, where we'd decided to hike. This meant many dogs as well, of course, which Tea loved. And despite the mist and clouds, there were some great views as we made our way to the Air Balloon pub for their carvery. (Bit of a disappointment, that: more in the vein of a Wetherspoons. really, although their seasonal veg was superior; particularly the carrot and parsnip.)

The fantastic views continued after lunch, although I spent more time looking at my feet as the hike went on: all that foot traffic (and the rain, no doubt) made for a very muddy trail. I almost made it back to the car without incident. Near the end, I was taking a picture when I felt both feet slip out from under me; had to sit on a shopping bag for the drive home.

Still, all in all, a great day. We'd both missed our walks through the English countryside.

Check out our Picasa album for more pictures from the day.