Monday, 26th Semptember

Have finally got going on story again. Almost written the basic text now. Am calling it a story but it has grown to somewhere in the region of ten thousand words - I think that may be classed as a small novella even. Also pulled some ideas together for another one - whoopee!

Whinlatter

Sunday, 25th September

Did not want to do much today either. Weather does not help - spitting with rain. Went a run out to Whinlatter and found a lovely walk that incorporates pretty becks, the ruined aqueduct and the pool (follow the blue markers for the uninitiated). Nice one to take friends to on a warm day I think (always good when tea shop present also). Wonderful food - we had a late lunch/tea.

Ullswater

Saturday, 24th September

Feel tetchy: want to do something but do not want to do anything.

Got Marcus to drive us to Ullswater and arranged to meet Lynne for short walk from Pooley Bridge. Had ice-cream - very pleasant.

Migraine - day 2

Friday, 23rd September

Have migraine for second day and am feeling thoroughly pissed-off. Did shopping in the morning and met Ricky's initial dance teacher in the bank. She had some good news for me, I hugged her whilst meanwhile the two cashiers were trying to sort out our money. We have said we might meet for lunch sometime soon to catch up.

Got back to supermarket, found a trolley, released it with pound coin, placed shopping list, carefully prepared last night (still with migraine) in wee holder on top of trolley and before I could get inside a great gust of wind blew the thing clear into thin air! I am thinking, this is probably the one and only time I'll really need a shopping list this year: am due for period and have terrible headache - how am I to remember anything in this state? Found note stuck to tarmac in car-park on way out!

Achieved shopping however and did not forget anything that was on list. Forgot something that was not on list but that hardly counts I think. Snuggled up in front of fire with cat and book.

Migraine Day

Thursday, 22nd September

Awoke with full-blown migraine this morning so all good intentions go to the wind. Did go and have my hair trimmed however and then, because head not too bad, bought a knitting pattern for a cardi for Mom from June's shop nearby. It all proved a bit much however and I came home thoroughly exhausted so - no writing (not good).

On the way to Ullscarf - Harrop Tarn

Ullscarf - 2

Wednesday, 21st September

Have had amazing day and am now buzzing with self-confidence. Arose at specified ungodly hour and drove child along motorway and country lanes to school. Found tea shop open in village at eight-thirty in the morning (no mean feat) and enjoyed relaxing cup of tea in courtyard. Drove back to Keswick but did not stop - no - but drove straight on to Thirlmere. Have now been driving for over two hours and am getting tired.

Re-did walk from last week and found Ullscarf! It was difficult to tell which, amongst the various piles of rock was the summit so I simply followed the ruined fence-posts until the land started going down. I had some help in that I could follow the line of surrounding fells: Glaramara, Allen Crags, Gable, Chocolate Bun, Lining Crag and High White's.

Had to laugh on returning home when reading Wainwright's description of fell-top where he describes the worn-out fence posts as pretty useless for anything other than assisting walkers to find their way to the summit without which, he admits, "would be in some doubt!"

PS: There is a story relating to: Chocolate Bun - a fell to which I feel a special affection. Will explain after I have climbed it.

The School Run

Tuesday, 20th September

Today I find myself in a position of great responsiblity as I have to drive my child to school. Not an unusual occupation you might think except that my child's school is over fifty miles away and involves a get up - oh well before seven in the morning. I failed. I had three hours sleep and was just not up to it. Also, tummy still not right. After much perfunctory grovelling to school receptionist, guest-house owner (he was supposed to stay over this night), re-arranging of hair-appointments (tomorrow) I managed to give myself a stress-free day only to realise that of course I would have to take him tomorrow as he was now not staying over. I am going to take a sleeping pill tonight to ensure I sleep regardless of tummy rumblings and other distractions.

Mom's Visit

Thursday 15th - Sunday 18th September

Picked Mom up from bus station in the evening. Got up late and so have spent day running around like a mad thing. Have gone out three times - once to get tummy medicine and wrapping paper which I forgot in the morning. Have made another banana cake - Mom likes banana cake. Realized it would be too late to eat dinner if I cooked it after picking up Mom so had to prepare it and leave it to Marcus to cook. All timed like a military procedure with me phoning Marcus as soon as Mom got off coach to tell him to put stuff on. Dinner is a success. Mom likes her presents. I am buggered - go to bed.

Friday
Have a relaxed morning and wait for Shelia's arrival. Mom likes Shelia. Give Shelia belated birthday present (that I forgot to give her the last time she visitied). Shelia's birthday was in March! Shelia has tennis elbow. She is having some discomfort with this but agrees to go on short walk anyway. Walk is over an hour. Mom enjoys walk. Shelia enjoys walk but really needs some painkillers on the way back. Find Shelia some painkillers. Find out Shelia can eat my banana cake after some worries on my part that she can't. We eat banana cake and leave some for Marcus.

Saturday
We drive to lake in the afternoon and have a wee walk round town. Marcus drives us to Buttermere in the evening and we have another lovely meal there. (Never had a bad one there). Everyone go there - it's great!

Sunday
We walk round Stonethwaite (avoiding bad pub with rude staff) and end up at Grange where staff at central tea shop greet us like old friends (central tea shop at Grange very good also). Later in the evening I show Mom the year's photographs on P. C.

Have discovered reason for tummy upset - zinc tablets. I have stopped taking the zinc tablets and feel much better already. :-)

Ullscarf 1

Wednesday, 7th September

I am sitting on top of a fell. There is a band of cloud drifting towards me. It is dropping into my tea and the drips are splashing up onto my nose whilst I am trying to drink. I'm desperate for a pee but am loth to drop pants and expose myself to the wind, which is strong!

This is fell-walking at its best and what I remember most. Of course I didn't have to go walking in the rain today, I could just have easily have left it until tomorrow, when, I have read, the weather will be better - drier. But today, today I had to go a walk and as Ullscarf is one of those peaks which has thus far escaped my attention I decided today was the day.

It was wet, it was boggy and when I finally got back I realized I'd climbed the wrong one. Mind the view from Coldbarrow was magnificent, even through the rain. I could see Dock Tarn, Watenlath Tarn and both Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite in the distance - stunning!

Royal Crescent

Royal Crescent

Bath City

Saturday, 3rd September

Am ready to come home now. Miss the river and the fells and the lake. Spent the morning wandering around shops and visiting Georgian House - No. 3, Royal Crescent. It was very odd. Or rather the people who ran it were very odd. Go there and let me know what you think. Surreal, is the word that came to mind. We both came out wondering if we had truly entered another world/time/place. Bought some cat mugs and then came home.

Birnbeck Pier.

A terrible picture of me in Weston Woods.

Weston-Super-Mare

Friday, 2nd September

Marcus is appalled that we are going to Weston. I must admit that it is strange perhaps, that someone so much into finding sacred space should adore places like Weston and Blackpool, but I have fond memories of Weston that I wanted to re-visit. There were special places for me here: Birnbeck Pier and the walk through the woods to Kewstoke. I haven't been here for nearly fifteen years. The Pier is closed now, this doesn't surpirse me, it was pretty derelict when I last visited. The water-tower is still in the centre of the woods, although it seems larger, perhaps it has been re-built. I enjoyed going here.

Stone Henge

Me at amongst the stones at Avebury.

Silsbury Hill

West Kennet Longbarrow

Lots of Stones!

Wednesday, 31st August

Still have headache, which is a shame because the weather is absolutely wonderful ie. very hot. We have never seen Stonehenge so Marcus decided we should, seeing as it is one of our most notable national monuments and we were in the vicinity. Very impressive, although I would have enjoyed it more if I could have walked through the stones and actually touched them - speaking as a highly kinesthetic person. Avebury was better but by then head throbbing alarmingly so failed to appreciate it properly I think. I was reallys struck by Silbury Hill - have no idea why, but that odd-shaped mound sticking up from the virtually flat surrounding landscape fascinated me, it really did. Perhaps because it is so mysterious - no-one really knows why it was built do they? After stopping off to look at the hill (no-one is allowed to walk on it because of rare flowers) we walked up a small rise to West Kennet Long Barrow. We could walk into that.

Bath Cathedral.

Main door of Cathedral.

Angels climbing Jacob's Ladder.

The main bath.

A picture of Marcus - at last.

The Sacred Spring. This was once a covered space with statues of the Goddess Sulis placed in the water.

Inner Pool

Bath

Tuesday, 30th August

We have come down to Bath for a luxury break. Unfortunately I have caught a friend's cold and have a terrible migraine and runny nose but I am enjoying most of it. Terribly hot. Strange to be somewhere other than the North. Bath seems so very South. Architecture is amazing - lots of biscuit-coloured stone and pillars and curves etc. Here are some pictures of the Roman Baths we visited on our first evening.

Keswick for Visitors

Wednesday, 24th August

Walked down Railway path and drove to Lake. Saw Judith in shop. She was very amused when Kai called out: "Auntie Brina," and I explained, "Ooooh that's me!" Marcus drove us over hill and fell to Buttermere and we had a lovely meal at the Fish. By far the best place in the Lake District for a meal: Excellent food, reasonable price and a wonderful view - what more could you want?

More Visitors

Tuesday, 23rd August

Marcus's brother and family have arrived and I have provided food and beds - also jigsaw and books for children.

More Cooking

Monday 22nd August

Have just cleared up after one lot of visitors and am ready to start it all off again. Here I am standing in the kitchen waving my wooden spoon yet again. More fairy cakes and tiamisu - yum!