Blustery chilly days have rewards too

We are currently experiencing a cold snap. Cold because of northerly winds bringing cold air and some squalls that mean the big coats and scarves and beanies are in regular use when out of the car and not indoors. Daily temps have seldom been much above 10C for about a week now. Even the sin seems to have lost its warmth.

This morning we were able to give Maggie a bath. She gives a reasonable impression of enjoying it :) ...

Certainly she scrubbed up well and looked warm and cosy in her clean fresh all-in-one.

To be on the safe side, another layer was added so bathed, wrapped up and covered with a warm knitted yellow cardigan and hair brushed (way too young for that in my opinion, but might as well start them young!). At this point the ladies headed into Norwich to do whatever they were going to do ... and I headed off exploring in the car.

I headed off on a roundabout route to the NE coast with the loose aim of getting to Horsey Pump. By the time I got there is was too late to explore, but I had a good reason for being late! Along the way I saw some really fascinating spring colours in the trees ... almost confused me into believing it was autumn already, but they are both the fresh flush of spring! 

 

Then after a really nice lunch of bacon and mushroom toasted panini and peppermint tea at a local cafe in the small village of Mundesley, I got a close up taste of the wild North Sea. The wind just tears at your head - up your nose, in your ears, eyes and when you breathe it seems to smash straight down to your lungs ... and that is with a big warm coat, scarf, beanie and glasses on! These next coupe of pictures taken on a promenade between the seaside villages of Bacton and Walcott - loads of caravan parks and holiday parks along this stretch of coast too. In my mid I questioned the sanity of the guy walking his dog - perhaps he was trying to get rid of it! Then when I turned the other direction to take a photo, there were several people walking, including one mother with a baby ... and I could not believe she was trying to get rid of that; so perhaps the guy is just as dedicated as the mum? In any case, as the second photo shows, the groynes are currently withstanding their spring tests.

 

A little further along there was a nice vista across some arable fields to the lighthouse and the tower of St. Mary the Virgin church in Happisburgh.

Then a little further south I came across Horsey Estate and Horsey Warren (the latter name because not that long ago the area hosted a rabbit farming industry on this land). So, not quite to Horsey Pump, but I plan on getting back there before we leave. So, after an uneventful first look over the dunes and along more of the windswept coast, I headed back to the car park and set off in the direction the "Main Seal Colony" sign pointed towards. It said they may be around all year.

As I was walking south, behind the dunes, you could hear the waves among the rush of the wind. The good news was the wind was at my back, so not as harsh as it seemed earlier ... like yin and yang though, I had to walk back and I was not looking forward to that as it would be directly into the damn wind! About one km down the track some other hardy souls paused in their struggle against the wind to let me know there was indeed a colony of seals on the beach another couple of km along - around 30-50 they said. So, I out my skates on and the whole wild windy day was suddenly worth it ... this was my reward ... very cool! I have never seen colony in the wild, just a few swimming on a ferry crossing to Vancouver Island a few years ago. First photo, through the gap in the dunes as the walkers had told me, the colony was still there, just to the left ... then I have included a shot with some other people to offer sense of perspective (signs everywhere asking you stay at least 30m away :). The third one is a closer view of the colony - very small by some I have seen on TV documentaries BUT still a real treat and another unexpected privilege! 

Despite the bitter conditions I hung about for about 30 minutes and soaked it all in. Here is a selection of some of the colony members I managed to snap. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did watching them live :). The first one captures what it was like down on the beach quite well. Notice the wind blown sand they are poking their heads up into and lying low to avoid ... I know it IS sand, but it was not much of a stretch to imagine them doing the same in a much colder climate with snow rather than sand being blown ... I have to add, though, I am glad it was sand and not snow as I was cold enough today :).

And the walk back WAS hard work directly into the wind. The scarf covered my nose and mouth, my beanie pulled right down over my ears and my head bowed toward the ground. Had I not had the joy of seeing the seals there would have been some serious grumbling happening ... and I know I am getting quite thin on top, but a measure of the strength of the wind is that a few times I literally had to pull the beanie back down over my head. Little wonder the seals only stick their heads up every now and again :)!

Here is a short video showing them sliding in their unique land sliding technique to get closer to the water at one point (just 8 secs ... the front of the colony had already moved; this video is the rest "catching up").

So, another day to cherish (really). 

Will enjoy a good sleep tonight!