At Home

 

It's funny that even though I have more time on my hands than usual, I'm finding it trickier to post. I think it's down to having less structure to my days, and little concept of real time. I'm struggling to remember what day it is. Not that I'm complaining, as that will all change in a few weeks, when school starts again for the autumn term. Just this once I have been remarkably well organised, and Lily has everything she needs to start secondary school, including the 'right' kind of bag and coat :)

Yes, I used the word 'autumn'. Although the days are still delightfully and most definitely summer, the evenings are becoming that little bit cooler and certainly darker. Along with my upcoming birthday, the middle of August also signals the arrival of late summer here. Rowan berries are beginning to turn a vibrant red and blackberries will soon be ripe enough for picking, but as always, I will be clinging on to my favourite season for as long as I possibly can.

This year, I have spent quite a bit of time de-cluttering the house. Whilst on my summer break, this has gathered pace and I am now noticing a significant difference. In the kitchen, all the cupboards have been emptied and sorted. Items that haven't been used for some time have been discarded - well, sent to the charity shop - and the walls have received a fresh coat of paint. It looks so much better already, but I will be giving it a second coat of paint tomorrow, then hanging my new blinds. I really need to put down some new flooring, but that might need to wait a couple of months. After that I will be starting on Lily's bedroom, but I will be fitting this in as and when I can. One step at a time.

Both cats have been spending a lot of time outdoors, enjoying the good weather. But at home, when she's not guarding my clean laundry, Mog has found herself a new sleeping spot, on top of Lily's (yet to be de-cluttered) toy box. Boo, on the other hand, has taken to sleeping on top of the hob! He is the sweetest cat, but certainly not the brightest.

The garden is beginning to looking a bit weary now, and although the hydrangeas are still looking fabulous, many of the flowers are past their best. I've already harvested and enjoyed some of the potatoes, and the beetroot will need pickling soon. The lemon trees are still doing well, and the experimental pumpkins are growing fast. Who knows, I might be carving a home grown one this Hallowe'en. 

J. X

A Week in The Lakes

Last week, the weather was nice and sunny, so we enjoyed a lovely week in and around The Lakes. 

Our first visit was to Buttermere, more specifically, Rannerdale Knotts. In order to avoid the crowds, and the heat, we went late afternoon. This turned out to be a good plan, as we didn't have any issues with parking and we only passed a handful of people up on the fell. I imagine it would have been a different story had we been there earlier in the day. It was a lovely walk, and the views over Buttermere were spectacular. The one thing that I hadn't planned for, however, was just how hungry we would be afterwards. We are far more used to walking in a morning, taking lunch with us. So on this occasion, and as a special treat, we enjoyed dinner at the hotel in the village. It was a really lovely evening, and another Wainwright ticked off. 

The following day we went to Ullswater. This was actually where we were meant to go on the previous evening, until I had a last minute change of mind :) Again, it was another late afternoon visit, but this meant that I could get on with some jobs during the day. Lily had great fun in the kayak, while I tried my best to relax and rest my foot, which unfortunately, is still causing me a great deal of discomfort. 

Midweek, I had an appointment at the hospital (about my foot), then met up with a friend, who I haven't seen in a while. We enjoyed a walk by the river, a drink and a good natter. We didn't exactly put the world to rights, but we gave it our best shot. 

The next day, we were back at the lake, and this time we were much better prepared. We went out in the kayak, and we also swam for a while, before cooking sausages on the camping stove. Delicious!

Towards the end of the week, and with another fine day forecast, I thought it would be nice to fit in another walk. This time we went from the village of Mungrisdale, taking in Bowscale Fell and Bannerdale Crags. It was a steep climb up through the bracken, and it was tricky to negotiate the path in some parts, but once we'd reached the other side, it was fairly straightforward. The heather is in flower now, which is always lovely to see. It was a great day for walking, but very chilly on the summits, and even on this summer's day, we were very glad of our down jackets. Back in the valley, we quickly became much warmer, but we were able to cool off in the beck, before making our way back to the car. 

J. X

London

 

Well, I didn't really have long before the planning and preparation began again, as last weekend saw us back in London again. This was my first visit since running the marathon, and I'm happy to say that the weather was much warmer this time, no need for my hat and gloves :)

After dropping off our bags, the first stop was Richmond. By this time, we were feeling really hungry, so after a much needed lunch stop (a lovely picnic on Richmond Green) we walked along by the river, and up the hill towards Richmond Park. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and we had hoped we might see the deer, but it didn't look too promising. There were plenty of butterflies and bees, but we didn't notice any deer, not even in the distance.

We made our way a little farther along the track, weaving our way past the ponds, and returning through the trees, when I suddenly spotted a deer among the bracken. Just one. Whether there were any more close by, I couldn't tell, but you're not supposed to get too close to them, so we stayed where we were.

Having given our legs a good stretch on the walk (It had been a long train journey), we headed along the river again, back to Richmond Green, where we enjoyed an ice cream and watched some of the cricket. It was quite busy there, as you might expect on a Saturday afternoon, but everyone was happy and  relaxed, and making the most of the sunny day.

Dinner that evening, was a McDonald's, eaten on Clapham Common :) I think half of Clapham was there, and why not, it was a lovely evening for it. After a quick drink at a nearby pub, we went back to our hotel for the night, where we both slept incredibly well, unsurprisingly after all that walking. 

For ages now, Lily has been wanting to experience H22, the city's highest free viewing platform, but you usually have to book tickets in advance for this. I kept checking for cancellations, but I wasn't having much luck, until last Sunday, while we were eating breakfast. I refreshed the web page, and it appeared that there were just a handful of tickets available for 11.00 that morning. Cue much excitement, then a quick dash to get into central London, to make our time slot. We had been incredibly lucky to get these tickets, and it was the perfect morning for it.  

Once we had reached our destination, in sharp contrast to the heat and noise of the city, we stepped into a quiet, cool entrance lobby, where we were directed through security and into the lift. 58 floors later, we were greeted by the most amazing views. Previously, we have visited the Sky Garden, which feels high enough, but on this occasion, we were actually looking down on it. We had a wonderful time up there, searching for the landmarks down below. The Tower of London, especially, looking as though it was part of a model village. It was amazing, and I would definitely recommend a visit there, if you are ever in the city. 

From H22, we walked down towards the river, passing The Monument to The Great Fire of London, then caught the tube to Hyde Park, where we enjoyed another picnic lunch, before spending the afternoon by The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. 

Then, all too soon, it was time for us to return home. Although, I was quite relieved, as the temperature rose even higher the following day. And I must admit, the city is not my favourite place to be when the weather is so hot.

J. X

Filling My Cup

As lovely as it is to get away, it usually takes a lot of planning and preparation on my part. Often, the most relaxing times, for me at least, can be those days spent closer to home. These kind of days are more spontaneous, take minimal planning for, if indeed any at all, and besides a little petrol, don't cost anything.

I enjoyed one of these days, this week. After an early lunch, we took a short drive out to Sizergh Castle, so we could have a wander around the gardens. It is really beautiful there, and although it can get busy at this time of year, there is plenty of space where you can experience some peace and quiet.

The flower beds are gorgeous, and there is plenty of contrast to keep my interest. Not being overly green fingered, I might not know all their names, but I can still appreciate them.

And we are always keen to get to the kitchen garden. I love to see the rows of vegetables, interspersed with companion plants, the fruit tree borders, sweet peas, and sunflowers. And Lily always loves to see Charlie, the resident cat, who on this occasion was lying fast asleep on a bench.

The fruit trees in the orchard are laden with apples and pears, and the wildflowers are attracting so many pollinators.We sat for ages in the limestone garden, watching out for the bright blue damselflies above the water there. The acers look really pretty now, but they will put on an even more stunning display of colour in the autumn.

Once we had visited the main pond at the front of the castle (of course we had to see the Lilies), we set off for home again, feeling relaxed and happy. Some places seem to have that affect don't they. Then my cup was filled even more, when I discovered what my own vegetable 'garden' had produced for me.

J. X