I indulged in a lie-in and late breakfast before Chris picked me up at 9:40 leaving me at Towford at 10:00. With a lighter backpack as I could leave most things at my Airbnb I really felt the difference - I was floating! I chatted for awhile with farmer who pulled over on his quad bike with 2 beautiful and good natured dogs - one who offered his paw to shake (a gold/brown and white shaggy sheepdog and a smooth coat black and ginger one). He commented on the weird weather - in the 20’s during the day, below zero at night. But lambing was going well. Walking was straightforward today following the Roman road of Dere Street. Not long after leaving the farmer, I was confident of seeing and hearing a whimbrel for the first time on this Walk. Similar to a curlew but not quite as big, a less prominent beak and a more soulful call not developing in full like a curlew’s. The early part of today was largely through farmland, gradually leaving the Cheviots behind with the higher summits in c...