5: Day...Next: Heaven

I’ve lost track of the days. My perception and perspective up in these fells are changed. Deceptive. Delightful. Dangerous for keeping a schedule.

The light here is special — the sky rivals West Texas in wideness but the clouds come very close. The sun is very high in the sky at this longitude, so there are dark cloud shadows that drift across the hillsides all the time, mottling the land. Moving swiftly.

The green here is special. I didn’t know there were so many different hues and textures of it. An endless variety of green — something I would never even have thought to imagine. I had intended to try and do some painting here but quickly abandoned the idea because I don’t know how anyone could mix this many greens.

Distance here is special because, as Liz said, “The land here undulates.” It’s why my first driving map said 71 miles but over 2 hours to drive. It goes up and down everywhere. For every fell there is a dale — translated, for each higher place there is a lower place. Nothing is level. In fact, there are only two places in all of Upper Wensleydale where a helicopter can land.

Time is also special. The busy world is a long, long way away up here. This time of year, there are around 17 hours of daylight each day. The pace of life is slow and people take things as they come. Animals and their well-being are everything. Sheep and dogs, cattle and show horses. Tractors and hay bales. Because of the wiggly little roads, even during the week the delivery trucks move slowly and carefully. Anything even resembling a motorway is more than an hour drive through even more hills.

This is exactly where I need to be at this moment in my life. I suspected it was and went to a lot of trouble to get here, but I know it now. This may actually be my Heaven. I feel contained and supported by this land, this pace, this water, and these people.