The Lakes 16th October 13

Don't know what I did yesterday but my knee is not working properly today so Steve and I dropped Chris & Mark at Aira Force and we went for a walk down by Ullswater its self. Whilst we where eating lunch a small sailing boat with a strange, to me,  sail arrangement, appeared so I tried to photograph it through my birding scope. The results are grainy but I think worth sharing. Sorry it was very overcast today so the photos are a bit flat.

The boat when we first saw it

The boat is dead centre in this photo roughly
where it was when the last three photos where taken

The hills above Ullswatter

After a picnic Lunch Steve and I then drove to Dockray to meet up with Chris and Mark at The Royal Hotel a local pub. Whilst there I noticed some sculptures made from wire netting in the garden and thought they where interesting. It had started to rain by now so the photos are a bit dark.

sorry a bit of camera shake on this one

windows get in the way on this a bit

A smaller example in the porch

After a refreshment break in the the pub we drove to The Rheged Centre where in addition to a display of some work  by local artists we found some more of the wire sculptures, this set showing a diver doing a single piked somersault {photos courtesy of Marks phone}.

I haven't forgotten the fungi

Lake District 15 October 13

What a glorious day though it was a bit over cast at times. We decided to walk from Troutbeck to Ambleside, a lovely walk that gives great views across Windermere. We parked the car in a little lay-by just beyond the National Trust property of Townend and walked up the unmade track that opened up the views of the lake 

The route took us across the back of Holbeck Ghyll to high Skelghyll around Jenkins Crag  through the lower part of Skeghyll Woods and on to Ambleside

Looking toward Lakeside

I was intrigued by the hinge on this gate  

I was intrigued by the hinge on this gate  

That is extreme dry stone walling!

I liked the way they had incorporated this outcrop in the wall

The long and winding road!

The great thing about this walk is that with Ambleside in the middle of the route we could find somewhere to  buy lunch part way round. Strange we could not find the lovely little 'Walkers cafe that Steve and I used the first time we visited Ambleside six years ago, are we looking in the wrong place or has it closed?? We eventually lunched in Walnut  fish and chip shop where Asher played his usual staring role! Why is it that people find this Greyhound so adorable??

After lunch we had a decision to make. Do we head back the way we had come or go over Wansell Pike? The decision was made to tackle the Pike and we set of visiting Stockghyll Force on route. We walked through the remnant of a Victorian pleasure ground running up the side of the stream to the 'Force' its self complete with the original 'Revolving Gate' entrance at the top!

Money tree at Stockghyll

Stockghyll Force

I was interested by how this beech is rooted
in the rotten stump of another tree

Asher and Chris and the wrought iron fence support

The tree tries to protect itself from the iron!

The revolving gate

Then we struck out to walk up the 482 metre pike - I didn't realise how steep the Ambleside face of this hill would turn out to be!!! On reaching the saddle of the hill Steve and I took a breather whilst Mark & Chris climbed to the very top. Then it was down hill all the way, the clouds had thickened by then and although it did not rain the views did not really lend themselves to photographs.

Looking to Lakeside from Wansell Pike

Blatham Tarn and Wray Castle from Wansell Pike

Which idiot decide we should go up Wansell Pike?

Guilty as Charged!

And of course the ubiquitous fungi!! 

14th October 13

Quieter day to day went over to Walney Island Barrow in Furnace, to visit a friend who has just moved into a new home there. Did manage a short walk up the channel between the island and Barrow to do a bit of bird watching though it was quiet:
Black Headed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Redshank, Curlew, Oustercatcher, Cormorant, Crow, Raven, House Sparrow, and a lot of very noisy but invisible birds in the bushes. 

Sorry no photos it was a bit dull today.

The Lake District 13th October 13

Hi Folks
Another visit to the Lake District!
Our first walk of the week this time in Borrowdale, we started in Rosthwaite walking up the river toward Derwent Water then cut round the back of Castle Crag.

Hills above Rosthwaite

Almost blue sky

Looking down to Derwent Water Castle Crag on the right

Hawthorn growing out of the wall supporting the footpath

A short uneventful walk until I lost my footing crossing the stream and fell in knocking my head on a stone.

The stream that decided to eat me!

Amazingly other than a mild headache I have no injuries and actually did not get very wet either. On route back to car we stopped for a cup of tea at this cafe couldn't resist taking a photo of the sign.

A short trip down Borrowdale we stopped to have a look at the Bowder Stone

Now following last years October visit her are some of the fungi we spotted on the way.

Khushi Does Bollywood

 
I don't normally post any thing if I'm not on holiday but as Saturday 29th July was such an amazing day here goes I hope this works.A video of the event can be seen by clicking Khushi Does Bollywood

More info regarding Khushi feet can be found here khushifeet.org.uk