A Doubler Stone

I enjoyed a wonderfully relaxed birthday evening courtesy of my two sons. Forrest cooked a Thai curry and Roam baked a birthday cake. It was all very good too. These lads aren't quite as hopeless as I (or they) make out! A new regime is being putting in place - although I haven't told them yet!

Today dawned wet and thoroughly miserable so I was able to start my big blip catch-up this morning. The weather changed at lunchtime though and the sun started to break through the clouds to provide some fabulous lighting. I was very tempted to go out on the bike but the strength of the wind really better favoured a run. I decided to go to the far western end of the moor where I haven't been for a while, and certainly not since I started blipping. I got all kinds of weather on my run from brilliant sunshine to hail. The backlit cumulus clouds were awesome to watch.

It was a hard choice to make between quite a few good pictures of this landmark and I have to admit that I've changed the original shot I posted. Although the clouds were really dramatic, taking the shot into the sun meant losing the detail of the sandstone stratification (see blipfolio). So I've posted this image of just one of the stones. I think the morning light will suit the original angle better. I will return!

The wind was blowing a veritable gale at this rather exposed point. The shape is caused by the harder gritstone capping the softer sandstone underneath. They really do look like they were sculpted as a pair. They were originally known as the Doublestones, but that has now changed to the Doubler Stones. I wonder how those things happen?

Roam is back from the Leeds game (where Neil Warnock has just been installed as the new manager) and is positively elated after they came back from two goals down to win 3-2 with a late, late winner against local rivals Doncaster. I'm in for a much more pleasant evening than I would have been otherwise. I don't fully get the passion and fervour with which football teams are supported, but I'm really happy when Leeds win in that way, for the vicarious pleasure I get from seeing my youngest so happy. I guess it's not a bad thing ... and I have to live with it as I set the whole thing in motion when I started taking him to Elland Road with his brother when he was just four years old. That first game is magical when you're young. His support for the club is now hard-wired into his brain, poor lad!