A very varied day!

We have a lovely life up here, but very few days show the extremes of it quite like today.

I was riding out first thing (nothing unusual about that) and to say the least it is a bit wet up the gallops. Not sure who got more mucky, me or Mary? we both needed hosing down when we got back to the yard!

Then this evening it was all change. A very rare occurrence, me in a frock and Husband in his Black Tie. Off to the Roundthorn for a night of fun and dancing with pals.

And Now for Something Completely Different

What a beautiful morning - we've only got a couple of hours before an afternoon of Rugby dawns. We head out to have a quick wander on the fells, but as we are leaving home we realise it is the annual Husky race Meeting in Greystoke Forest. Quick change of plan and we head into the forest for a walk to have a look at what goes on

The first of the competitors are arriving. It's 10am but we learn that they won't start racing till 12. So we decide to do a loop which will hopefully mean we will just be getting back to the start as they get going

Frost on the ground and a clear blue sky.

As we get within about half a mile of the start (we are walking the 5.5 mile loop they will be racing round - only we are doing it in reverse), the first competitor appears

click here for a video

They come through every few minutes

Breeze seems to be quite interested!

We gradually make our way to the start, pausing to watch each competitor pass

and spend a while watching as each team is harnessed up and counted down to start on their way

It's quite noisy! Turn the sound on for the next video

Video here

We've walked the 5.5 mile circuit so now it's just half a mile back to the car, passing all the competitors vehicles and dogs on the way. Eveywhere you look there are excited Huskies and Malamutes tethered amongst the trees.

Who would have ever thought there could be so many people (and dogs) involved in this sport.

We walked a total of 6.5 miles. Not the walk we had planned, but what an interesting experience!

It's Tour Time

We've been looking forward to today for months! As avid road cycling (armchair) fans we got excited when the route for this years Tour of Britain was first released. It looked suspiciously like it might be coming past our door. Then finally several weeks ago the detailed route was published and guess what? It DOES go past our door. So the planning began. Yellow marigolds were bought and planted into a load of plastic troughs we inherited from a neighbour (and don't use!) and placed on the porch roof. An old bike was sourced along with some yellow paint and my curtain fabric leftover stash was raided for some yellow lining fabric I knew I still had. 

While Mum was here we had a wet day and I had saved this job for just such a day - 30 metres of yellow bunting began to take shape.

Sunday afternoon saw a hive of activity. Lifting the bike onto the roof and putting bunting up, along with organising food and drink for a crowd. Monday turned out nice and as the first friends arrived at about 11:30am (all the way from Holland!) the party started.

Waiting in anticipation as 12:30 comes and goes - any minute now

After a few casual cyclists (who all got a very rowdy cheer), numerous marshals on motorbikes and a multitude of police motorbikes...................

The 'frenzy whipper upper' came past and announced over the loud speaker where the breakaway was and the fact that they were 3 minutes ahead of the peleton

Then The Commissar appeared 

And to huge cheers the breakaway came into view

The next part of the race seemed to be the team cars, who managed to navigate our corner upsides, when normal motorists seem to struggle to pass each other in opposing directions any other day of the week

A few minutes later, as expected the peleton appeared

Followed by an awful lot more team cars, police bikes, marshals, ambulances, fire teams, you name it! By the time they had all gone past we had made our way through the house, piled our plates, charged our glasses and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the weather in the back garden.

Somehow I think it is unlikely The Tour will come through our little backwater another year so I'm glad we made the effort to acknowledge it this year. There always seems to be a carnival atmosphere watching them pass through - but a fine warm day made such a big difference - somehow I don't think we'd have had such a great time in the rain!

Mindless Destruction

This is one of the places we go really frequently for a dog walk, but rarely with the camera (you don't want to see the same place over and over I'm sure). But following a devastating fire in the valley during half term, we went today and took the camera with us. The fire was believed to have been started by a barbecue on Bank holiday Monday. We have lost count of the number of disposable barbecues we have picked up and brought home to dispose of in this valley in the past, in fact our last visit here, only just a couple of days before this fire we found a burnt out discarded one and brought it back, commenting on how lucky it was that it hadn't caused a fire with everything being so dry.................... It makes our blood boil how thoughtless and irresponsible people are.

As we drive down the dale, the scale of the fire is astonishing

The side of Combe Heights laid bare. I hate to think how many ground nesting birds and small mammals were rearing their young on here (can you see The Spaniel?)

Just a little way up Grains Gill we come across the scars from the BBQ we removed last time we were here. There are apparently a lot of irresponsible people out there (or someone has frequent BBQ's here). I do wish they would bugger off and burn their own homes down.

However much damage they have done, they haven't managed to ruin a lovely spot

As we get back to the car we spot this pile of burnt rubbish only a yard or two away. This is a really popular spot on bank holiday weekends (when the sun shines at least) and if we had a pound for every bottle and can (and BBQ) we have picked up and taken home to dispose of over the years then.................. We always pick up litter, wherever we are walking - Wombling as our friend Ann used to call it.

I think this could be classed as Wombling in a War Zone. At least it would be a war zone if I got hold of the little blighters who did this. My only hope is that the person responsible was wearing this shoe when the fire started. If so, hopefully this is all that's left of him/her.

A Riggindale Round

It's just the two (three) of us today. Pat and Rob have headed further North and Jay is busy, so a it's a rare family outing. And what a corker of a day it turns out to be. We are later than usual starting as we have an appointment in Penrith first, so we park up at Mardale Head and start out walking somewhere around 11am. It's a beautiful day and it stays that way all day too.

On your marks, get set.........................

Heading up to Blea Water

Blea Water Crag (Mardale Ill Bell) above Blea Water

From Blea Water we head up to Caspel Gate

Looking back along Riggindale Crag from Long Stile

Lunch with a view. The Western Fells from Racecourse Hill

Heading for Mardale Ill Bell - the dark lump infront of Breeze - and then Harter Fell - the big lump on the left at the back

Small Water and Haweswater from the path above Black John Hole

Small water and Blea Water just visible in the centre of the picture taken as we head up onto Harter Fell. From there we headed across The Knowe and Brown Howe to Kentmere Pike

Tricolour Spaniel. Notice she's smiling! She's very proud of herself

It's windy up here! On the summit of Kentmere Pike

Then we take a less frequented route to visit some quarries which a friend has recently brought to our attention. You can see the grey area slightly above (but below if you get my drift!) and to the right of Breeze

We love the remoteness of places like this, particularly when there is not another person around

Wrengill Quarry

We definitely need to visit this place with a bit more time to spare. It is amazing. Huge underground caverns

The mines were closed in 1945, when the Italian Prisoners of War who were by then working there, were all sent home.

Below the quarry we turn onto Gatesgarth Pass and start to climb again

As part of  water quality project in these parts the stocking levels have been dramatically reduced. Nearly every sheep we saw today was a Rough Fell, including some real bonny hoggs on this last stretch

Back to the car at Haweswater

A good 9 miles with sunshine all the way. We must get back to visit Wrengill quarries again before too long.