Derwent Water

Following the river through Keswick you get to Derwent Water.  Fine views across the water towards the peak of Catbells are to be had from Friar's Crag - even when the weather is a little inclement.

Normally, we would have had a walk around the lake, but the water was doing it's best to hamper this and the footpaths were flooded.  So we had to make do with the view from the crag.

Some of the pines which grow on Friar's Crag have their roots exposed which make for a good picture, but not so good to walk around.

One more picture through the pine trees before the weather takes over again and a heavy shower forces us to take cover again.

Water

Tuesday saw us driving into Keswick in the rain.  The showers came very heavily as we drove in, but thankfully, not too many of them.  As we walked around the town, we had to take shelter a couple of times, but the Edinburgh Woolen Mills shop came in handy for that!  The river Greta which runs through the town was swollen by the rains and crashed along its course.  In places, it was trying to break free from its banks and a few of the waterside properties were looking a little vulnerable.

The green space of Fitz Park provided the perfect spot to view all 3,054ft of Skiddaw, England's fourth highest peak.  Firstly in the dull cloud of our arrival...

... and later as the sun came out and lit the scene across the cricket ground and club house.

Dull

After the bright, warm sunshine of Sunday afternoon, we woke on Monday morning to leaden skies, mist and drizzle.  A quick walk up Orrest Head near the town of Windermere was a rather damp experience and the view of Windermere itself was a little 'grey'.

Malcolm was well prepared for the rain which started to fall as we reached the top...

Later in the day, we had a boat trip on the lake to the Northern end of the lake and the Town of Ambleside. The weather was a little better by the time we caught the boat back to Windermere, but the clouds were still rather dramatic over the high fells.

Glimpses of sunshine made things better still and enabled us to sit in the open on top of the boat.

Canal

More on the Lancaster Canal walk today.  I mentioned the close observation by the cattle in the fields opposite, well, not all were interested in us as we walked by.  some were far more distracted by the idea of a good drink and a nibble at the grass growing along the edge.

It was a quiet and very charming scene as the drinking cattle were reflected in the water.  Very pastoral.

as well as the cattle, two large families of Mute Swans caught our eye as we walked past.  Having not seen very many young swans around our 'home patch' this year, it was nice to see that here at least, they had done pretty well.  This family had eight young and the other family had seven.

It was too nice to head back too early and we were enjoying the sunshine and the views.  Things changed a bit on Monday - as you will see tomorrow...

Lakes

Yesterday afternoon, Malcolm and I got home from a few days away in the Lake District.  We started on Sunday, by travelling up to Burton in Kendal.  The forecast was not good and we set off in rain.  By the time we got to Burton, the sun was shining, it was warm and we needed to stretch our legs along the Lancaster Canal.

Looking across the canal, there were good views of the village of Burton over the fields.

Cattle grazed in the fields and came splashing down to the water's edge for a drink.  A pretty mixed bunch they were too.  Several different types all getting on well together, but giving us the eye as we passed.

The views along the canal towards the great, grey, limestone block of Holmepark Fell.  Scoured clean of vegetation during the last ice age, it has been kept stripped by the action of water ever since.  More tomorrow...

Acorn

There are a number of large, old Oak trees around these parts.  There are some much younger ones too and it was to one of these that my attention was turned this morning.  For a small tree - no more than 7ft tall - it had a good many acorns adorning it's branches and it didn't seem to be affected by any Gall Wasp infestation.  Most of the Pedunculate or English Oaks (Quercus robur) around here are festooned with galls of all shapes and sizes.. Spangle galls, Knopper galls, Oak Apples, Artichoke galls and Marble galls abound, all caused by different, minute gall wasp species.  But these were looking pristine and untouched by any insect attacker.

Good news for Malcolm, who gets a 'fit of the shudders' at the mention of any type of Wasp, even the tiny, non-stinging gall wasps.

Reflections

No walk today despite it being a beautiful, sunny day, having our weekly duty to perform taking our friend Winnie shopping.  So, a couple more pictures from yesterday's wander around the lakes of Straw's Bridge.  I mentioned the reflections yesterday, so here are some more.

While we stood looking at the next lake, our attention was drawn to a sudden loud splash over to our right.  We were then treated to the sight of an electric blue streak of colour flitting up from the water onto a dead branch.  A Kingfisher was doing what Kingfishers do best... fishing!  What a beautiful sight - our second sighting of a Kingfisher in as many weeks around these parts.  Pity it was too far away (and too quick) to get a picture.