Folk make ready for the Solstice

Summer Solstice

Tuesday, 21st June

I cannot describe how wonderful it is to be living in this wood. Going to sleep with the sound of the river through the open window; the last thing I see as I close my eyes is the moonlight on the trees and the first thing when I awake, the heron sweeping along the water. As soon as I step outside I can smell green and earth and flowers. I hope we can live near here forever; I do not think I could cope with a street again.

It is hot and sultry and full of the scents of summer. Think earth, think fire, think Pan - it is all making me feel rather horny. . .

Took a quick visit to the stone circle on this very special evening: glowing, was the way I would describe them today - but entirely different to Samhain (see entry: Samhain - 31st October, 2004).

Ricky prepares for take-off (Circus Space - London)

Get ready. . .

And go. . .

Memories of a former time - (Imperial War Museum)

Ricky with Ben

Abigail learns to ride

Marcus's brother with his family

London

Sunday, 4th June

Went to London yesterday so Ricky could spend a day at the Circus School. He is hoping to audition for a place to study a BA next year. We are staying the night with Marcus's brother and his family. Spent yesterday afternoon in their garden. It is sunny. Abigail rode her bike on her own for the first time, so that was good to witness and Ben, who is only eighteen months old just keeps on smiling.

Went to the War Museum this morning and spent a moving hour or so in the 'Children's War' exhibition. I have a yen to write a novel in this period - yes I know - so many have.

Took Ricky to the Circus Space. He was very good - the best on the trapeze, which for saying it was the first time he had been up on one. . . He said it hurt his calves!

Journey home was the journey from hell. Don't ask, it would take a huge blog to record it. Suffice to say we booked a train and ended up on a bus with broken headlights, that thought it was a train; A driver that said he did not like to be talked to when driving but talked non-stop; a radio full of static and an aversion, on the bus's part, to acknowledge second gear!

Perched Sheep!

The way back down

Steps down to Blackbeck

Buttermere and Crummock from Green Crag

Dubbs Quarry

Innominate Tarn

Haystacks

Monday, 30th May

This is one of our favourite places. We come here a few times every year. The day was ideal; not too hot and not too cold. We still have the odd phases of high temperature and breathlessness but the initial climb does not go on for too long. Sat at Innominate. Marcus drank a malibu & coke and listened to the new Robert Plant Album and I curled up on a heather pillow and enjoyed the sunshine.

Comb Beck

The pool.

Old dam in woods.

May 2005

Whinlatter

Marcus has taken a week off from work to enjoy spring and is still unwell. It is really unfair. We went to Whinlatter today but he was too dizzy to walk very far. I took him to the pool, which has been re-done - re-vamped? since we lived here before and then showed him a tiny path which leads to the remains of an old dam. Standing in the shadow of the trees, as it does, looks like something from a fantasy novel.

May 2005

Day After Fall

My i-pod got damaged. It was in my pocket when I fell in the beck. I was very upset because it was an anniversary present from Marcus.

He hair-dryed it last night and it seems to be working now. My back is ok. I have a big purple bruise on my bum however. Looks like a map of some strange fantasy island!

May 2005

The Fall

No, nothing of mystical importance here, just a silly accident that occurred whilst I was walking on my own over Coledale Hause. I arrived at the mine (see Force Crag - October) in good spirits. The day was warm - no jacket and I, my new i-pod and 2-Step (walking stick) were looking forward to a good climb. I was making for Wandhope, a small fell sitting amongst the giants of Grasmoor and Sail and Causey and therefore not much frequented. I am not deliberately endeavouring to climb every single fell in the Lake District but having realised I only have one left to complete, ' the North western Fells,' thought I may as well give it a go.

Wandhope turned out to be lovely the views were amazing all around. (Did not bring camera - sorry) so you will have to take my word for it. And I felt really pleased that I managed to get up the hause (am still carrying extra weight from medication I had been taking for the last couple of years).

On the way down I noticed it was starting to get cold. I needed gloves and didn't have any. Half way down the hause it began to spit with rain and then a few minutes later, it hailed! It must have been the ice laying on dry rock but as soon as I put my foot on one of the stepping stones over the beck by the mine, the world turned upside- down and I found myself lying flat on my back in the water. I had a terrible pain in my lower back where a rock had struck it and for a few moments I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to move. How long can you lie in cold water without getting hypothermia, I wondered?

As it turened out, I could walk and by the time I got back to Braithwaite the weather was gorgeous again. In fact it had not rained in the village at all, so what the people in the car park thought of me, wet, bedraggled and limping heavily to my car, I cannot imagine.

Bridge over Brockle Beck

Aerial - Grisedale Pike behind.

Sheep at Springs Road Farm

Keswick from Walla Crag

May 2005

Walla Crag

We have managed. . .
Still recovering from viruses. Marcus is still quite unwell but determined to go a walk. Walla Crag is a climb - but not too high. We have not been here since our return. Walked down to Ashness and then back along the lakeshore.

Flowers in our garden 1

Blue stuff too!

Flowers in our Garden 3

Columbine (I think) I've always known them as, Grandma's Bonnet - we have loads!

Flowers in our garden 5

Flowers in our garden 6

May 2005

Our Garden

We do not have a garden as such. Well we do but there is so much of it and it is so overgrown. We did not think we were going to be able to rent this place for longer than a few months so we have not really put any effort into sorting out the place. We tend to sit on balcony as it has better views of river/mountains/woods etc.

However, despite our best attempts at neglect we have had a beautiful array of flowers. Check out these pics. taken by Marcus.

One of the paths through our wood.

Our River again.

The river

May 2005

Our Woods

Can't believe this, but we have yet another virus (seven in nine months)! Marcus is quite ill and has to go to hospital for tests. Inner ear probs. causing dizzy spells and bad headaches etc. I just feel fed up. Have missed out on dry patch in weather the last few days.

So, it was delightful, in fact quite eurphoric to be able to go wandering through the wood in which we live. As you can see, spring has arrived at last!

Waterfall on Greenup Gill

We went all the way to the top.

Looking down Greenup

April 2005

The Long Walk to Grasmere
I am very partial to Grasmere fudge, which I have recently discovered is made in Penrith. I do not like fudge in general but the fudge from the Grasmere Gingerbread Shop (also from shop in Penrith) feels like an orgasm has exploded in your mouth! But it is also very fattening so I felt I had to have a excuse to buy it - like walking to Grasmere from Borrowdale perhaps?
It is a pretty walk and quiet, since most walkers trot over to the Langdales from the top of Lining Crag. I didn't remember the valley on the other side being so long however. It was also very boggy so we arrived at the Gingerbread Shop plastered in mud. Here's hoping it has made us fit also.

Great End overlooking Sty Head Tarn

Looking back at Sty Head Tarn

Britain's highest: Scafell Pike

March

Sty Head

If I have to write, 'we managed,' with regard to walking again, I shall scream. But there you are, encouraged by our hike around the lake, we decided to visit Sty Head. Beautiful day. It felt good to be up high again and to be visiting places I have longed missed. Like visiting old friends.

Derwentwater boat landings

Skiddaw

Moss-covered boulders by Lodore Falls

Storm damaged jetty at Hause End

March

Walk around Derwentwater

We are trying to build ourselves up to do some proper fell climbing but because we keep getting ill are having to do more simple stuff. This is our first long, albeit flat, walk since the winter. I actually did this walk in January, (Ricky had his girlfriend to stay and they wanted me out of the house)! I got caught in hail half-way round. Today was nice - not too cold, and dry. We were very tired by the time we got back though.

Borrowdale Mine

The tunnel

February

The Search for Borrowdale Mine

It wasn't meant to have been a 'search' really. We are both ill (another virus) and needed a bit of fresh air. I remembered Ricky telling me about visiting a mine up near Dale Head that had a tunnel leading into a cave. I'm rather partial to caves, and mines. It's all that rock and the mix of the industrial mixed with nature etc. Anyhow it wouldn't have been difficult to find if we'd stuck to the path. . .
Not too difficult really. I will just always have memories of Marcus whimpering quietly behind me as we trudged up the steep grassy slope (we both have bad backs but mine gets better when I'm walking)!

First Snowdrops

Imbolc Shrine: The icicles, made of frosted glass were old Xmas ornaments bought from Whinlatter Forest Centre.

January

Birthday

Great day: Over twenty people for party and lots of cool prezzies! Nell came up from Stafford for an overnight stay and Francis for the weekend from Lancaster. Lots of people bought us stuff to go onto our house-shrine, which was done up for Imbolc.

Have been wandering round florists all month trying to order snowdrops for the day but to no avail. Told a friend who assured me she would bring some. I was sort of after six or seven - you know - picked from a garden perhaps: she bought me a carton full, dug up from her local wood! I am pleased to say that I re-planted them in our garden a few days later. As well as being symbolic of hope for the coming spring etc. the first snowdrops always used to flower on my birthday when I was little so I felt quite disappointed when there were none in ours. Marcus and Nell came back from town however and told me that there were some - and guess where? Under Hecate's bush! (See 'In Search of Yew' - 30 October for reference).