At 5AM, I look out my window onto Kirkby Stephen’s market square. The market has been around awhile, in 1361 a royal market charter was granted. I see a very early morning hiker already heading out of town.Yikes! I also see a Viking longboat in the middle of the square.

Late yesterday, I visited the red-stone parish church “The Cathedral of the Dales.” Nice. I’m on a hunt. On an interior pillar are “bread shelves.” Even in the Middle Ages, the priest and parishioners had to offer bread to the poor. Some needs never cease. I see a display case, some really old Bibles and prayer books. In a moment, I see it. The “Loki Devil.” A figure, carved in a yard-tall stone, is according to some scholars the Norse god Loki.The unusual feature is that he is chained. Interesting artistic depiction of Christianity’s overcoming other religious claims.

This also explains what is happening in Kirkby Stephen, the annual Loki Festival! A couple of hours later, I wander over to the booths that are set-up. Since the rain from last night has let up, I still wonder how many folks will attend. I speak to one Viking. “Sorry about the rain. I hope you have some visitors.” “Rain, we don’t worry about rain!” A good typical Viking response. We chat about the reclaiming of Viking heritage by groups throughout northern England. Interesting.

I start the trail. While stopping to look at a quarry, I chat with some 50-year old fellows. “Quite a group you have here.” “We’ve been getting together once a year for over 15-years to go for some walks. Grew up together in the same small town. Great fun, except two of our mates have dropped the walking to play golf.” At another break, half-an-hour later, I hear one of the guys say “Let’s ditch the other two.” Surprised, I ask “Did I just hear that you are going to ditch your other two friends?” They laugh. “Not really, they are slow walkers, they look at everything. They’ll catch up with us at the top.” The top being the Nine Standards, stone cairns which are an ancient landmark possibly back to Roman times, and a contemporary landmark at the top of the Pennine Hills.

There are four other fellows probably in their 30’s carrying impossibly large backpacks. During breaks I see one fellow smoking an e-cigarette. I shake my head. It is hard enough walking without smoking! These fellows are like the proverbial hare, and I’m the proverbial tortoise. We continually leapfrog each other. As I plod by them during one of their stops, one fellow smiles, “There goes the walking machine!” I laugh.

I join other folks at the top. Because of the nightly rain and the forecast for more rain, I have not carefully planned my day’s walk. With the rain disappearing, I, like everybody else, hike to the Nine Standards. Since there are two ways down, I ask folks in another group “Blue route or red route down?” Quickly one says. “Oh, go the red route. This past year they have placed stone slabs all the way down. No bogs to walk through.” Great advice! These bogs are serious.

I soon look over my shoulder. “Something’s coming our way.” With those words, I’m off. For the next hour, I could have been a solitary walker enveloped in the low clouds of the Scottish Highlands. I know that there are two groups fifteen minutes ahead of me; I know that there is a group behind me. However, when the low-lying clouds arrive, I can barely see 50-yards. One of the slabs that I walk on is a tombstone! A very, very eerie feeling!

I walk alone for a good hour, almost three miles. I begin to see a farm. I faintly remember reading about Ravenseat Farm run by The Yorkshire Shepherdess. Apparently, her scones and tea are legendary. I stop at a bench and talk with several new walkers. “Is it open?” “Nope, no scones or tea. Not open for the season yet.” The word has spread about this place!

I know that my night’s lodging at Keld Lodge is only two miles. As I round a bend, I see a cameraman filming a car pulling a trailer up a small rise. As the tires spin, I wave to a young child as the car passes. A minute later, I ask the fellow filming. “What is this all about?” “Oh, I’m with Channel 4. This family is restoring that old farmhouse right there. We are doing a show about their efforts.” Interesting. Not quite what I anticipated seeing!

I smile. I’m getting the homing instinct now for Keld Lodge so I wish him well. Yet, in a couple of hundred yards, I see a modern day shepherd. An off-the-road vehicle and a dog rounding up sheep. After he passes me going to another enclosure, I finally catch up to him as he distributes some supplemental feed for the sheep. “Excuse me. I’ve a question for you. In the Lake District, I saw shorn sheep. Isn’t it too early for that?” “Welllllll” he drawls. “Each farmer is different. Maybe lower land. We don’t sheer our sheep for another month.” With that, he is back to feeding his sheep.

From Vikings to sheep farmers, and so many other people. An interesting day. Interesting People. Interesting words spoken and heard. Nothing derogatory. Nothing bombastic. Nothing accusatory. Ordinary folks talking in ordinary ways. Sometimes the ordinary can be so refreshing.