Up on the Mortimer Trail

After so much rain
our lanes are full of
potholes hidden under puddles.
We had to drive carefully cross-county
to a point where we wanted to climb up
to one of the Mortimer Trail ridges.
Walking up the lane
rivulets flowed down from high,
thrill of an early primrose,
daffodil leaves
and seas of snowdrops on banks
and on the floor of roadside woods.
Up on the ridge the trees
obscured the views until
we reached a ride opening down into the valley
to show across and on to further hills (north-west)
then down through woods the other side
(bluebells leaves appearing widespread through the leaf litter)
– the path seemed to wander off the map route
and we had to step through young bramble,
checking on downloaded map that we were
still walking the old noted track,
into farmland and open views then south west
fading into faint Black Mountains.
Sheep foraging in the
wet winter field.
Finished through woods where
we were glad of good boots
in the sinky muddy wide puddly patches.