the first hour of rain

hens scuttling out of the rain
clucking hens
and gentle sound of falling rain

i want to be at the shelter
relief when we are here
children's verse gives us cheer

'when its wet and windy
water sprays back up the waterfall'

'twigs cracking.
into the natural carpet.
heather creeps along, the sloping bank.
a sheep path curls its way out'

'ancient boundaries, trackways and workings have marked the land of the Edale valley, like the worn hands of an old farmer.'

'packhorse trails - salt and cotton from the west were exchnged for coal and lead in the east, amongst other things.
journeys were long and hard, and often in terrible weather.'

Words in quotes found in National Trust shelter
a place where we listened to the rain and wind