The Galloway Hills are full of surprises and coming across these falls on my walk this afternoon was a pleasant one —

Ok – it may not be in the same class as Niagra Falls but everything is relative. This is the Water of Fleet – not the mighty St Lawrence and it wasn’t such a bad place to spend a half hour with my tea and sannies —

I would be embarrassed if I had to tell you how many photos I took of these boiling waters as I sat by the pool – let’s just say it was a lot and I was spoiled for choice when putting this wee tale together —

I wasn’t tempted to go for a swim this afternoon although I confess I’ve skinny dipped in smaller pools than that while climbing mountains on a hot summer’s day —

The dirty scum in the back eddies makes me wonder what rubbish the river is picking up between the headwaters and here because above the falls it’s mainly forestry plantations while downriver it flows through native birch and alder —

No matter – I didn’t raise a sweat today and you will be pleased to note my clothes stayed on —

In any case – I wouldn’t want to frighten the wildlife. Not that there were any out and about up there today. No cattle or sheep either and this stylish old hayshed which would once have stored winter fodder stood empty apart from the old Jones baler. I remember stacking bales on a sled towed behind one of those balers in my youth but I’ve no doubt ‘elf ‘n safety would take a dim view of that method of work in today’s ‘enlightened’ times —

Spring was definitely in the air as I came down out of the hills. A couple of Herons were performing ungainly aerial gymnastics as they cavorted above a rush choked pond until a pair of the hawk species – possibly peregrine falcons from their pale undersides and the silvery glow on their backs – sped down out of the woods and chased the herons out of sight. The action was all over in what seemed like an instant but it certainly livened up my day – and the heron’s too no doubt 🙂

Sorry but I’m not David Attenburgh and I didn’t get a photo of our feathered friends in aerial combat so you will just have to make do with another one of Upper Rusko Falls. The grass tassles left by the flood water on the alder branches give a measure of just how much water has been thundering over these rocks in recent months.

But – just in case the sight of all that water is having an adverse effect on the readers – perhaps this photo showing beautiful new growth on a moss covered boulder might be a better way to end my walk 🙂

Water of Fleet