Weekend Walking

Last weekend we were spoiled with some beautiful weather here, and as always I was up for making the most of it. 

On Saturday morning Lily and I set out to climb Clough Head, which is a rather steep looking fell just south of Threlkeld. Although I had checked out the route and done my usual 'research', I still wasn't quite sure what to expect. I am happy to report, I was pleasantly surprised. 

It was a bright, sunny morning and we set off nice and early, parking in a little lay-by on the road between Threlkeld and Thirlmere. From here, there were some lovely views over towards Blencathra, but Clough Head itself looked a little intimidating, the steep, rocky crags on it's eastern slopes disguising any obvious track. However, the route we were taking initially led us up and around the Old Coach Road, taking in more of the stunning scenery, before turning sharply to climb the grassy fell side. Besides the effort, the walk itself was very straightforward and as we neared the summit, we were treated to some amazing views over Keswick, Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite. We could even see Scotland in the far distance! After enjoying our summit chocolate (Chunky KitKat if you were wondering 😊) we made our way down the craggy side of the fell which, in fact, had a perfectly clear track with just a very short section of scree.

We did, however, make one slight detour, which had been requested by Lily. As we began our walk, she had spotted this bench and thought it a perfect spot to eat our picnic lunch - I think she was right! 

J. X

Resting

I've had a busy week, and I was already feeling extremely tired, when Lily became poorly during the night. Instead of going along to our wildlife group, as planned, today has been filled with rest and laundry. Lots of laundry. Thankfully, she feels fine now and has even managed to eat a little, she's just wiped out. Hopefully, a good night's sleep will see us both feeling much brighter in the morning. 

At least the weather has been good. Sunny and breezy, perfect for getting all the washing dried. The windows have been opened wide and the house filled with fresh air. Mog has spent most of the day fast asleep on my bed.

This morning I spent a while pottering around the garden. I've picked more of our ripened blackcurrants and spent some time photographing the wildflowers, which have grown significantly, thanks to the recent wet weather. Due to a lack of garden activity, the bare patches of grass have completely covered over now. I had hoped we might have spent more time out there, but we just haven't had a decent spell of hot weather so far this year. There's still time and I'm feeling hopeful :)

Earlier in the week, we enjoyed the school sports day, and I'm very proud to report that Lily came second in her sprint and what has now become tradition, first in the skipping race. I swear she runs faster if she has a rope in her hands! It was so heartening to see all the children encouraging one another and joining in the fun, the later finishers receiving even louder cheers than the race leaders. As the results were announced the children were all given ice lollies for their efforts.  A thoroughly lovely afternoon. 

J. X

Autumn Days

There are many reasons I enjoy writing my little blog. It is especially important in  times such as this, when it feels like all I do is eat, sleep, work, repeat. Weekdays seem to blur into one another with rhythmic ease and  my weekend activity becomes less as the sun sets earlier each day and the nights grow longer. During these dark evenings it's lovely to have a reminder of the bright sunny days and to be reassured I do still get the opportunity to spend plenty of my time outdoors, even if sometimes it feels otherwise.

Recently we have seen some beautiful sunny days. Not enough to dry out the well trodden muddy fields and tracks but enough to enjoy some walks without the need for waterproofs, which at this time of year is often unheard of. 

Disappointingly, with the announcement of the second lockdown, our planned visit to Hill Top didn't get to happen but, having remembered to book in advance, last week Lily and I spent a lovely morning in the grounds of another National Trust property. It was lovely to see the change of seasonal colour throughout the gardens and we enjoyed a hot chocolate along with some delicious home made banana and chocolate loaf at a secluded little spot, overlooking the pond. It felt good to sit for a while in the warmth of the sun and it was hard to believe there had been a heavy shower of hail a few moments earlier.

Hallowe'en was a quiet affair this year, but we still carved our pumpkins and displayed them in the window. This year more than ever before I've been determined to be much less wasteful, and so I made a very tasty risotto with the flesh of the pumpkins and I can definitely recommend roasting the seeds. They don't take a lot of time to prepare and make for a delicious snack. It would have been very easy for me to have eaten them all at once but they do store well in an air tight jar.

On Bonfire Night we wrapped up well and went out into the garden to make some pretty patterns and write our names with sparklers. We could hear fireworks being set off in the distance but there didn't seem to be anywhere near as many as usual, which must have come as quite a relief for many pet owners. I was still anxious, however, as Mog headed out of the cat flap as always, completely unconcerned by them.

Last weekend, on another gloriously sunny morning, we went for a short walk up Gummer's How. It's always been a favourite little climb of ours, especially as for minimal effort we get rewarded with some of the most beautiful views across Windermere and the Lakeland fells. There was barely a breath of wind and we spent quite a while simply sat overlooking the lake, enjoying the view.

A few days later than I intended, I made some treacle toffee. It is something I always love to have at this time of year and is so quick and easy to make but, for some reason, I just hadn't got around to it. It seems to be a common theme with me lately, in that I seem to be constantly playing catch up. With this in mind I have recently turned my thoughts towards Christmas 🎄 and, in an attempt to be slightly more organised than usual, I think I need to start some planning. 

J. X

Into Autumn

Autumn days are gathering pace, and now that we're fully immersed into our school and work routine once again, it's reassuring to feel some sense of normalcy. Everyday life, although not completely back to how it was before lockdown, has at least taken on it's usual rhythm for this time of year.

We've experienced some beautiful sunny days and enjoyed some lazy weekends. Hurried early mornings and long walks have, instead, been replaced by leisurely breakfasts and shorter rambles through nearby fields and woodlands. Wearing our wellies, as it's very muddy just now.

Acorns crunch underfoot and the trees are shedding their leaves at an alarming rate, reminding me it won't be long until the clocks go back and the days get even shorter. 

It looks so beautiful in the woods at the moment. The dappled sunlight through the trees shifts in the breeze, making patterns on the ground. Squirrels appear suddenly, scurrying along collecting nuts, before quickly disappearing out of sight again.

Although it is still a little early for us, the farm shop already has their pumpkins on display. Lily quite likes the idea of a white one for a change, but that might just be because they are HUGE. I suspect I will get an orange one as well, just because. 🎃🎃🎃

Whilst we were there we bought some decorative gourds. I have them on the mantel along with some conkers I collected when I was out running this week. Without any pockets, I needed to keep them in my hand for the final stretch home, which wasn't as easy as you might think given that they were really quite large. Lily is very happy with them, however, as is Mog, who despite me having had some new cat toys delivered for her this week, much prefers to chase conkers around the hallway. But please don't worry, she never attempts to eat them.

 

In the kitchen there's a definite comfort food vibe going on. I love this time of year for cooking up nourishing tasty meals and I've been making some of my usual go-to dishes along with one or two new-to-me recipes which I'm sure will become firm favourites. 

In two weeks time we will have begun our half-term break, then we will be slowly heading towards the end of the year, but before then I am looking forward to enjoying some glorious autumn colour and indulging in kicking through some crisp fallen leaves. 🍂🍂🍂

J. X

Spring Weekend

This weekend has been a happy jumble of all sorts. Days have passed slowly and gently, unhurried  and relaxed. I have given over trying to maintain too much structure to our time at home, instead I'm learning it's better to take things day by day and adjust my busy mind accordingly.

Lily and I had lots of messy fun making Chocolate nests. A few weeks ago I had made sure to get in the ingredients we would be using, and I can't tell you how difficult it was not to help myself to some of the chocolate during that time. It was calling to me, even from the highest shelf.

Talking of chocolate, we have eaten such a lot over the weekend, in fact, the Easter bunny arrived super early here, with foil covered eggs hidden all over the garden.  

As well as the chocolate nests I also baked an orange and rosemary cake using some of the fresh rosemary from the garden. It was delicious, if a bit sticky, served with a marmalade glaze.

I have been very fortunate to receive some plants from a nearby garden centre which, sadly, would otherwise have gone to waste, so the garden has been treated to a much needed injection of colour. I returned  home from a lovely afternoon walk to find I had been gifted several pots of tulips, some fritillaria and some blue anemone. Some beautiful flowers, which are quite clearly enjoying this sunny weather.  The sweet peas, which I saved from last year's crop are already looking promising and the spinach in the raised bed is growing fast. Over the weekend we also sowed the carrot and beetroot seeds, and the two different varieties of sunflowers, always a favourite of ours, have  begun to sprout. Once again, I'm feeling such gratitude to have this outdoor space at the present time.

Home learning begins again this week and I am happy to be able to put this in place once more. I'm easing us in gently, however, although the topic this term is much more fun, and it helps that we are getting a little more input from the school. Each afternoon we are getting out for our daily walk, making the most of this time to stretch our legs, appreciate our surroundings and enjoy the gloriously sunny weather.

J. X