April

My break lasted a little longer than I intended, but I've enjoyed a lovely few weeks and it's only really now that I've had the chance to catch my breath. The weather has undoubtedly assisted in lifting my mood. Although it's still fairly cold here, the weather is dry and bright - there's not a cloud in the sky this morning - and I'm loving the much lighter evenings.

A lot of the last two weeks has been spent out and about in the Lakes and it has felt incredibly special to be able to enjoy this time while it has been so much quieter up on the fells. 

At the beginning of the month we went to a nature reserve which, although not far from here, we had never actually visited before. Unfortunately, some sections were closed off because of the restrictions, but it was lovely to take a walk around and I'm certain we will visit again soon. I've never known so many tadpoles in one place before, and I expect there will be plenty more to see before very long.

 

Lily and I made our favourite chocolate egg nests. She doesn't eat cake, so I love that we can embrace this tradition and look forward to it every year. Eating them feels pretty good as well :)

On Good Friday we walked the Dovedale Round which is a horseshoe of five fells which are accessed from the shores of Brothers Water, near Patterdale. It was a beautiful and quiet morning and, while we made our steep ascent, we could hear woodpeckers drumming in the trees nearby. Five summits and seven miles later, of course, Lily insisted on paddling in the lake and we finished eating our lunch in the warm sunshine.

On the Sunday we completed the Easter trail at Allan Bank in Grasmere. Walking through the trees we were lucky enough to catch sight of a woodpecker in the distance and also a young roe deer. Afterwards we had a walk along the path beside the lake and it was nice to see the views of Nab Scar and Heron Pike, which we had walked up in the fog just the week before.  

Two days later saw us walking up Seat Sandal. A small fell to the north of Grasmere, which we climbed by hiking steeply by the side of Raise Beck, before bearing right alongside a broken wall to reach the summit. Here we were rewarded with views for miles over the surrounding central fells and east towards Saint Sunday Crag and Grisedale Tarn but it was incredibly windy. We needed to hunker down in the wind shelter to eat our lunch and we didn't sit around for very long, instead we quickly retraced our steps down alongside the beck, watching out for the huge icicles on our way.

The  following day was a little more restful with a gentle stroll through the woods and some time at the park for Lily, although I may have had a quick turn on the swings :)

Our final fell walk was on a direct ascent from Ambleside to Low and High Pike. Another gloriously sunny day and, thankfully, much less windy than earlier in the week. We passed a few other walkers this time, which was to be expected with the trail being a section of the very popular Fairfield Horseshoe walk. We also passed what appeared to be some very contented highland cows.

Finally,  at the weekend and desperate for some sea air, we took a walk out through the woods and back along the sea shore. It was beautiful and calm, and it was great to see people out in small boats and kayaks enjoying the great weather conditions. The blackthorn blossom is out in abundance here and it looks lovely against the bright blue of the sky.

This week has seen  me back to work and I'm adjusting to my new hours, which I can tell already are working so much better for me. I've also spent some time having a really good clean and sort out in the house. It's looking a lot better already but there is still so much more that needs to be done.

It's been a wonderful few weeks, and a member of school staff even commented to me that Lily appeared as if she'd been on an actual holiday, so I'm counting it as time spent very well indeed.

J. X

Time to Just Be

The readiness in which I've eased into my time off work this week has made me realise just how much it was needed. Along with my delight at the clear signs of spring and brighter days, I have felt myself completely relax. I've also been reassured at how quickly Lily has come to relish spending more time outdoors.  The recent pressures of home learning and way too much screen time hopefully put behind us now. 

The week began gently, with a quiet day for me and (now that the stables have opened up again) a riding lesson for Lily. I hope this is something she will continue to enjoy, as it's wonderful to see her trying something new and watching her confidence grow. 

Then, after what had felt like a very long time, Tuesday saw us out on the fells once again. This time we walked over Nab Scar to Heron Pike. It was a very foggy morning and, thanks to my preference to early starts, the first views we got to enjoy were on our descent back down towards Rydal but it felt good to give our legs a good stretch and I'm looking forward to more of the same over the coming months. We also enjoyed a wander through Dora's Field, which is a small area of woodland previously owned by the Wordsworth family and planted with daffodils when Dora, William's daughter, died. It was beautiful and so lovely to have it all to ourselves for the time we were there.

On Wednesday it was warm and sunny, so I spent most of the day in the garden. Some of the bulbs I got gifted at the beginning of lockdown last year are shooting up again but the Fritillary are already flowering. We've planted some sweet peas and sunflowers and scattered wildflower seeds. I now need to decide what to plant in one of the borders. Lily returned home from school last week with a tiny shoot, which I've already had to re-pot, as it's growing so fast. Apparently it's a runner bean. It was even warm enough to take the lemon trees outside, although with the temperatures set to fall over the next week, they're back on the kitchen windowsill for the time being.

J. X

Spring

With the arrival of spring it now feels as if can finally begin to look forward with quiet optimism. More than ever, my thoughts have turned to long, sunny days spent outdoors, the importance of which hasn't been lost on any of us these last twelve months. Even better if these times are to be shared with loved ones again. I can't wait.

It's so uplifting to see signs of life everywhere. The hedgerows are beginning to bud, lambs are in the fields and in the woods the scent of wild garlic now fills the air. With some beautiful, sunny weather heading our way, we will definitely be going back to gather some later in the week. The taste of wild garlic pesto stirred through some freshly cooked pasta makes the perfect meal to me. Simple but delicious.

Last week, however, the woods were filled with daffodils. On any previous walks there I had noticed some green shoots among the trees but they hid themselves well and it wasn't until they had flowered that I realised just how many there were. They were throughout the woodland and looked just like a carpet of gold.

Since I last posted, I feel as though much of my time has been spent going backwards and forwards to work. This hasn't really been the case, of course, although I am relieved that my hours will be reduced slightly when I return after the spring break. This will be a positive shift for me and allow for some breathing space. A little more time to focus on home and family life, restore some consistency which has been lacking recently and enable some much needed balance.

And speaking of balance, I intend to spend the next two weeks relaxing, walking and making the most of (what I hope will be) some good weather. 

J. X

'Bother That Cat!'

 

For those of you who are not familiar with the popular children's book, 'Mog the Forgetful Cat,' my post title is a frequently used exclamation of the family's frustrations towards some of Mog's typical cat behaviour.

Even though my Mog did not take her name from this particular book, I have found myself uttering this phrase (and much worse 😁) quite often recently.

Don't get me wrong, Mog is a great cat. The best. I really shouldn't complain. She doesn't climb curtains, damage furniture or jump on the kitchen surfaces. She is incredibly easy going, inexpensive to feed and although she doesn't exactly enjoy the process, she will take her worming tablet every couple of months with very little persuasion required on my part.

She doesn't scratch or bite, is quite used to having her sleep interrupted for a quick cuddle and has an adorable habit of wanting to be very close by while Lily enjoys her bath.

BUT. And it is a big but. For some reason she feels the need to wake me each morning at around 5.30a.m. 

She's been doing this, on and off, for some time now but it is definitely becoming a more regular thing and I don't understand why. Sometimes she will stand next to the bed and miaow! Sometimes she nudges me with the top of her head, or I feel her cold nose against mine and sometimes I even wake to see her just staring right at me! I read online for ideas as to why she does this but the suggestions were that she needs to go out - she has a cat flap, she is hungry - there is always food in her bowl, or that she simply wants company - as soon as I get up she wanders off elsewhere, often straight back upstairs to sleep on the spare bed. So, I am still none the wiser.

One morning this week, however, she woke me at 4.30a.m.!!! 

Now, it's a good job I am a morning person and I do enjoy being able to drink my first coffee of the day in peace and quiet, but still, this was a little too early even for me. Perhaps someone can enlighten me as to why this happens, perhaps this will sort itself out when the clocks go forward in a couple of weeks time, or perhaps I am just destined to be up early every day.

'Bother that cat!' I say. 'Oh, but she's nice!' replies Lily.

J. X