Monday, November 11, 2013

Visiting My Seven Sisters: Part 1

K-9: Wind and rain aren't good for my circuits.
Rex: Daleks aren't afraid of stormy weather.  We're indomitable.

In storm-battered Brighton, it would have been easy to stay inside our comfortable warm hotel room.  But adventure favors the brave!  So we bundled out, and headed for the bus stop.

In The Blotting Book by E. F. Benson, our young protagonist needs to think.  So he takes his car (simply called a motor back in early 20th Century Britain) and drives South from Brighton along the coast.  We opted to replicate his journey as best we could with public transportation.

A brief introduction to my Seven Sisters.  Their names are:
Haven Brow, Short Brow, Rough Brow, Brass Point, Flat Hill, Baily's Hill, and Went Hill.

At the Visitor's Center, a guide suggested the best--and shortest--hike, one that would take us out to the beach, where we could see the faces of all seven sisters.  Then we were off, to begin our 3 mile journey.
  

The narrow dirt path grew increasingly muddy as it rained. Our pace slowed as our feet slipped forward a little with each step. There was so much to see, and yet we were already wet. We didn't want to get covered in mud as well.  

Artist: Keep your distance, animals!
Humans and Daleks coming through!

Of course, we had to stop for cows.



Wild Blackberries offered sustenance along the way, as well as time to relax our concentration.  It was nice to just look around for awhile, and take in our surroundings.  

And yes, the berries were delicious.



Then the blackberry bushes disappeared, and after awhile, we saw why. Farmers had ripped them up, and in their place spaced out new fence posts.  As one man held up a wooden post, another drove his tractor up, and using a large hydraulic attachment, pounded it into the ground.  With their sharpened points, the posts dug into the soft earth quickly.  Later, the men would return, and string up new wire along the posts.

Their Border Collie looked on with interest. I imagine he would have rather been herding sheep.


With the rain, so much to see, and the need to concentrate on each step, our progress was slow.  But gradually, we neared our Seven Sisters.

Dragon Dave

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