Fun decorating

Soo, not much to report on the exercise front. However, i have managed to strip, prepare and wallpaper our dining room over the course of last week. My evening job turned into stipping* and then at the weekend i was wallpapering and putting it all back together again.

Still have some boxes to unpack, but it's pretty much there. Although i do have a few odds and sods that came up from doing it, which i'll be trying to get to this weekend.

Ho hum, the gorgeous wintery forecast and my mate running round the Kentmere Horseshoe will have to wait for some other time. Hopefully i'll get out for something else this weekend.

* clean up that thought.

Birthday!

last friday that was.. So taking a single day of holiday i had a long list of things that i wanted to get done. Some involved ferrying wifey around to a few appointments. Being at home for delivery of a parcel, getting some tyres fitted and also going to the gym. Followed by a swim which was a very nice way to spend the day. The evening was a bit quieter and involved a nice meal out just the two of us.

Over the weekend was spending some time in Warwick meeting up with an old friend over from NZ and eating some wonderful lasagne prepared by Tara. Then an onward trip to Brum slightly inebriated to meet up and stay with some other friends Jon+BB. During which a plan was hatched to bike from their home, along some canals (of which Brum has many) and then end up at a Cafe to meet up with our lovey ladies.

It was a brilliant days riding, if blooming hard work in some of the sludge, mud and ice that we came across. Jon particularly suffered as he hasn't been doing a lot of late. However, we arrived, slightly late, and consumed much cake and flapjack whilst having a hot choccie. Before putting the bikes back onto his car and heading 'home' for some slow cooked stew that had been on the go!!!

Brilliant,,, another point to point session with some amazing service courtesey of our respective ladies.

Hmmm, re-reading this it seems a lot of food was consumed!

Lakeland snow

Apologies for an interim silence. However, we were up in the lakes for our summer hols. It's a long story as to why it's our summer hols, involving a lack of concurrent free weekends and a non-existent jury service in the middle of August!

So with our normal cottage booked for northern lakes, a lovely retreat hand crafted by the owner who's a carpenter, we spent a little time wandering round Keswick on market day picking up the bits we needed and then a week of relaxing fun ensued.

Highlights were a nice walk to Grange from Seatoller and back (stopping in at the bridge cafe and watching the 10mile road race run by). A day out to Brantwood house, home of John Ruskin. An walk up and around Loweswater Lake, stopping in for lunch at the Kirkstile inn. Several Yoga sessions in front of the woodburner plus a bit of relaxation.


Clough Head first thing - it's a long slog

However, there was a small run that i did.. On a very clear, still, and snowy ridge. I had planned to drive myself and then bus back to the start, but Wifey was very agreeable in dropping me off and collecting me whilst i ran Leg2 of the Bob Graham round. The route is here and some photos of the run below. It was such a good day out, if hard work. Apart from a small delay getting lost in the only bit of cloud on Great Dodd (must remember to believe the compass) the entire run was in glorious skies and i was mostly following some old XC skiers tracks! There was the odd bit of trail bashing which made for a slower time than aniticipated. This did mean that i had to miss out Fairfield at the end otherwise i'd be much later than expected back at Dunmail Raise. This would have freaked Wifey out unduly, so i skipped that and went straight to Grisedale hause then up Seat Sandal.



Following tracks

Food was perfect, i took too much kit (waterproofs, warm layer and emergency shelter/bag) but was worried about being out in the fells alone.. in the end once i got to Raise i was with the 'relative' hoards (for a monday) going to Helvellyn (and on the ski tow!). The added bonus of having wifey pick me up was hot choclate in a flask, and a home cooked stew for when i woke from a crafty nap!



A gorgeous looking Striding Edge up Helvellyn

All in all, a better holiday could not have been had.



Panorama of the day, Fairfield on the right, Grisedale tarn (Grisedale Hause is bottom right) and Dollywaggon Pike on the left.