Friday 24 June 2016

Is this Independance day?

So, the out vote won and apparently the world is about to end. Let's hope that before too long everyone will stop bickering and blaming each other for everything.
We received some really very, very sad news today and by God does it put this all into perpective. Life is short, live it to the full, try to find the positive in every situation and cherish the ones you love, you never know what is round the corner.

Thursday 23 June 2016

EU referendum

We are so sick of hearing all the bickering about the EU Referendum. Politicians slagging each other off left right and centre. Random people (many of whom are good friends) spouting on social media, to your face or on the phone that we must STAY IN/GET OUT. Did I actually ask for their opinion? Everyone has suddenly become an expert and it is really very boring. So here is my opinion for what it is worth, oh and a few pics that I took on our way down to the village to cast our votes.



In? or Out?
 Whatever we decide, the wildlife in our garden really couldn't care less



Neither could the cattle in the park



Time to pop down to the village to pick up the paper and cast our votes. It's a beautiful day, so lets take a walk. I don't think I've ever taken my camera on a local road walk, but it is such a nice day it seems a shame not to take the opportunity to show you what a wonderful area we live in.











Back home for a cool down





























Ullscarf.

It's been a while since we did a decent length fell walk. We put that right today and if any walk has ever summed up what it's all about in our eyes, then this, my friends is it!

Jay joined us as we set off from Dobgill Car park by Thirlmere. The only car there on a beautiful summers morning

We cross Dob Gill as we leave the car park

and then head up the side of the gill. Do you think Breeze is pleased to be here?

This is a lovely climb. Thirlmere puts in an appearance behind as we head up alongside the forest

Passing the steadily silting Harrup Tarn.

 A short while after taking this photo, we bumped into what would turn out to be the only people we saw today. A couple who were aiming for Watendlath. They had walked approximately half a mile from their car we assume (although we don't actually know where they were parked) and must have been a good half mile away from the path they should have been on.

"we're trying to find the path to Watendlath, I did it many years ago and I'm not quite sure if we're on the right path"
Errrr. No, you're not. 

We showed him our map - No. They didn't have one - and told them where they should be in relation to where they were. Throughout this exchange, wifey was sitting on a rock some 500 m away. No doubt there was a domestic going on as they wandered around with no idea where they were or where they were going.  BLOODY IDIOTS

Anyway, where were we...

Further up the gill, we look back to see Blencathra illuminated in the distance

Helvellyn behind us as we pass the impressive washfold

Mornin'. Nice day for it!



We made our way over to Black Knott where we sat and had lunch and a brief rest!

Then on to the top of Ullscarf.
 Ok, time for second rant of the day!! When some friend asked where we had walked today and we said Ullscarf, they replied with disdain that it was very uninspiring and that is why there were no folk about. HELLO. The summit is the highest point of any fell. That's it, full stop, end of significance. For us it is not about summits. It's not about miles. It's about being outside, in beautiful surroundings, enjoying what is around us and finding interesting routes which may, sometimes include the highest point on a fell. Quite often we don't actually bother with the summit. After all, that's the one place you really are likely to bump into other people. If anyone follows the route we took both up and down and then tells me Ullscarf is uninspiring then I will be gobsmacked. But hey ho, we're all different. The more people that stick to the well published, well troden, often crowded routes to tick off summits, the better our routes will be!

The view from an uninspiring (!) fell

Crap isn't it

Absolutely awful

In fact, what are we doing up here?

Let's head down off this Godforsaken wilderness ;-) That's Grasmere and Windermemre ahead 

And that's a female Wheatear

And that's a beautiful Spaniel

We begin to lose height as we head down Flour Gill, towards Middle How which you can just make out as a small hummock in the shadows at the middle of this pic, just where the sunshine is about to start!

Hello Ewe

Heading for Wythburn Head

And then we follow Wyth Burn. This is such a beautiful valley. There must be about half a mile of continuous waterfall. It was impressive today when we are in a very dry period

We must come back and visit when we have had a real downpour

At the end of the falls - Bridge over troubled water - we are going to cross the burn here and follow it on the other side back to Thirlmere

Top Dog. Crossing Hay Meadows as we near Thirlmere

Chance to have a cool down

and then it's just a gentle stroll along the shore back to the car
We walked about 9.5 miles today, it was shorts (for me) and t shirt weather all day and it really was a beautiful and interesting route, whatever anyone else might think!

Monday 20 June 2016

Baby Pics

There are so many babies in the garden this morning, here are a few of them.................
Great Spotted Woodpecker


Blackbird

Tree Sparrows

Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail being fed 


Bathing Blackbird Chick