Tonight I grabbed my camera and went for a long evening walk with Guinness. We started off at 7:30pm and slowly watched it go dark as we walked, occasionally stopping to snap the odd photograph or to sit and listen to the sounds of nature.

I wouldn’t say I live in remarkable countryside, especially as Alsager is quite a big town by my standards, but there are some nice pieces of Cheshire beauty not far from the doorstep.

We walked along the Saltline and around Borrow Pit. I really enjoy evening walks, they can be a refreshing stress relief after a hard day, or a chance to unwind and reflect. Tonight it was an opportunity to spend some time with my camera and the dog, plus the odd cow.

One of the beauties of an evening walks around here is that you hardly meet a soul. We could sit and listen to nothing but bird song, the rustle of leaves, Guinness splashing into the lake (joy!), and the distance hum of the M6 (well you can’t have it all).

I never feel afraid when walking Guinness in the dark across the fields or around the pool. Whether it’s because we have a fairly low crime rate or because I have the dog with me, I don’t know. I seriously doubt my collie would be jumping in to save me if I did get attacked, but there’s something about having a dog with you that is comforting.

At nearly 10pm we strolled back into the house, content.

A lovely evening walk.