Sunset on Bowscale

We are in the middle of a heatwave, with temperatures reaching over 30'c regularly. Far too hot to be on the fells in that heat, and far too hot to take a mad spaniel anywhere much. We think an evening walk seems like a plan and then we think about sunset

Spur of the minute when to go and where to go. We decide on Bowscale via Bullfell Beck and leave the car somewhere around 8:20pm

Lovely soft evening light

She's pleased to be out, it's been way too hot for dogs just lately

Someone's got a good evening for a ride. That's Great Dunn Fell with the golf ball, over on the Pennines

Nearing the top

Carrock Fell

We got to the top around 10-15 minutes before the sun was due to set. Needless to say we hadn't seen a soul

It was magical being up there and seeing the sun fall below the horizon, but made even more special when we started on our route back to the car

We hadn't planned this bit, but a full moon was rising ahead of us as we walked back down

The light is beginning to fade

It's nearly 11pm now. No need for the head torches we are carrying, it's a beautiful clear moonlit night.

That is one experience neither of us will forget. By pure luck we had picked a perfect evening.

Picnic with Mum

Mum has come up for a few days - hopefully to relax and have a bit of a break. For once the weather is playing ball. This is one of those areas where you can find solitude even in the Silly Season and I have had my eye on the perfect spot for a picnic for a long time, but it's not the sort of thing we do normally! However it seems like the perfect way to get Mum to relax. Miles from anywhere, no phone signal and a boiling hot day.

Who's going to tell Breeze we're not going far today!

Fell Ponies grazing with Carhullan in the background. The only people we saw today were two guys with three young kids who were all staying at Carhullan. The kids were playing on their bikes while their Dad's had a stroll. A bit different from Welling Garden City where they live!

We had a wander first, taking Mum across the slab bridge and up to Tow Cop

Before retracing our steps

To pick up our picnic things and make our way to our picnic spot.

Where we had a nice relaxing lunch

Eventually we decided to head home.

Where we sat out in the garden drinking a G & T whilst the sun put on a fantastic display, producing a Sun Dog for about an hour. 

Roughton Gill in Winter

Probably the only day we'll manage to fit a walk in this week and with the winter conditions we decided to head to Fellside and just decide what to do as we went along. The conditions were variable to say the least, from no snow or ice, through sheet ice to thigh deep drifts

Lonely Valley

This is the first outing for my new hat! Made from Shetland wool, knitted by our friend Alison who lives on Shetland.  I think you might be seeing a bit more of The Hat!

The Old Mine Workings at Roughton Gill. Hard to imagine there would have been 100 miners working here at one point.

Breeze is camouflaged in the snow, particularly now it is thawing

Snow Cornices had gone pretty solid. Hard enough for a spaniel to skate on them

But not hard enough to stand the weight of an adult human! We sank in up to our thighs and in truth it was deeper than that.

A rare smile (on a photo - he does smile at other times, just not for the camera!)

Looking down on Dale Beck and the track we had walked up on

Intrepid Explorer

Mummies Little Princess

Back below the Snow Line

Later, back at home. A lovely end to the day.