The weather has changed today, misty and drizzling all day.
Helen took her mum Margaret into Kendal for a appointment at the hairdressers, Denis was grounded, his car was at the garage having a bit of a touch up,he had a coming together with a post hidden in a hedge.
I spent the day putting a coat of woodstain on some interior doors we had fitted in the summer.



1st of December tomorrow so advent calenders at the ready, this is Matthews.



Indoors all day today so this is a reminder of some better weather last week,me and Helen having a drink on the balcony at sundown, very civilised.

We got back from our break in Spain last night,we had some really nice weather and had plenty of long walks.
We came across this farmer ploughing his land with a mule, he said the following day he was planting potatoes.



Over to Kendal to stock up on provisions, we went across the ferry and the day was cool and very clear, I took these pictures from off the back of the ferry as we sailed over.





We bought a sander from a buiders merchant in Kendal, tomorrow's job is preparing 7 doors for staining at home.
It is freezing hard tonight and the car windows are frosting up already.

Here is the festive pony! There were quite a few around in town taking part in the Dickensian festival in Ulverston yesterday. This was the best pony by far. Lots of people were dressed up in old fashioned clothes but we didn't join in.
Here is the photo of the Ulverston branch of Fathers for Justice up the Town Hall clock tower. You have to click on the photo to read their banner properly. There is a gorilla up there as well as Batman. I was told that they were talked down later in the day.

And finally a big bird! Not sure what species this one was. It was on Lancaster bird charity's stall along with an array of other birds of prey and owls.

Got some photos today but no cable to put them on. Apparently fathers for justice are operating in Ulverston! Honestly I have the evidence! I have some other pics of the day including some birds....of prey and a festive pony. All will be revealed tomorrow!

This was a left over photo from yesterday. Its a sculpture/memorial in the park in Ambleside. I didn't have time to read the sign so I don't know what its for. Went to Kendal today and had lunch in the Brewery. Not sure what is wrong with the ferry, it seems to be taking a very wide route across the lake at the moment. Good win for the Reds today, slowly climbing up the table.

This is some of the views I get on my way to work in Ambleside. This is the bridge in to Millans Park of the Under Loughrigg road. It was a really nice this morning, really cold. Still no snow but I think its only a matter of time! Sad news about George Best. I read some interesting anecdotes about him in the paper today. Looking forward to two days off now, might go to Kendal tomorrow for a day out.

No snow as yet although it's getting quite cold tonight. Much clearer day but very breezy. The signs at work kept blowing away. The village was quite busy today because of a school group from Newcastle. They were asking lots of questions - geography related I think. I've not seen the grandparents tonight, i'm cooking for myself. Shocking I know! Its not just a curry, its an MK curry! More photos tomorrow because i'm working in Ambleside.

Its panto season again! I was once in a junior version of the Hawkshead Christmas panto. It was the same year as they filmed the live action for the Peter Rabbit films. We actually got a good luck card from Niamh Cusack. I played "2nd Citizen" and had more lines than "1st Citizen".



This might be a repeat photo although it was taken today. The flower arrangement doesn't look the same on a dreary November day. Is that a new sign? Spoke to someone who'd been up The Old Man today and he said it was clear blue skies on the top. Hard to believe really. Good result for Liverpool although I lost a £1.47 bet with grandad that Crouch would score. Double money next time I reckon!

As you can see, it was very foggy today! These were taken on the way to work this morning (I got out of the car!), and the fog didn't move much all day. Very dreary so not many customers in Hawkshead. Heard some sirens while at work which apparently was an ambulance and two mountain rescue crews heading towards the ferry. I forgot to mention that I think I spotted an ex premiership manager in Hawkshead yesterday. Actually, we conversed. I'm sure you can guess who it might be, he's a regular visitor.

First of all - sorry for no photos. Camera wasn't charged up this morning and grandad forgot to take his out on his walk.
Will be prepared for tomorrow though! Deceivingly frosty this morning, think it had thawed then frozen again. The streets of Hawkshead were a bit treacherous. I saw someone do the splits carrying an A-board! Painful! Quite a busy day in the shop, my boot selling skills are improving. Managed to survive an attempted ram raid as well. Someone left the handbrake of their car which bumped quite gently into the shop wall.

Cold again this morning and the untreated roads are very slippy, the mist has cleared and then dropped in again.
Everybody leaves this morning, these weekends seem to fly by.
We are off for a few days away so Matthew will be home alone and in charge of this site.
Margaret will be feeding him up and Denis will be trying to keep up.

We went up the lane to the tarns and it was warmer up there than down in the village, although there was a covering of ice over most of the tarn. As we were walking up we met a family on the way back down and they had there jumpers off and sleeves rolled up and they were saying just how warm it was up there.


This picture is the 3 swans feeding at the edge of the ice.


This is the island in the middle of the tarn surrounded by ice.


A good win for Liverpool again this afternoon but still no goals for Peter Crouch but they will come. I have not checked the lottery tonight so we might be millionaires.

Denis had his camera with him so these are some more pictures from last night
Richard, Alan & John
Matthew and Jimmy at the domino table.
This is me in the final playing one of a group of lads staying at the flats on a fishing weeklend.

Another frosty morning with really dense freezing fog, It has cleared now and the sun is shining.
We had 10 in for breakfast and they have all gone out walking.
It was a good night last night at the Tower Bank arms I won the dominoes and was presented with a bottle of whisky, no luck on the darts but no change there. £181 was raised for the BBC Children in Need fund, a good effort This is Phillip & Dorothy with Barry in the background. 

Freezing cold this morning but it makes for some wonderful views.
all guest arrived by 8pm so we headed home for tea
Children in Need tonight so we are off out to the pub for darts and domino KO, what a sophisticated life we lead. I can't throw a dart to save my life but it' a laugh.
Pete & Lynn, a couple of our New Year guests are here this weekend, they will be taking the pub dog Benjie for a walk tomorrow.

The fantastic weather continued this afternoon.
We drove 10 minutes down the road and parked up at Finstwaite and took a walk up to High Dam, quite a lot of people had the same idea. This is the dam which is part of the footpath.




The reflections in the water are spectacular, so much so it is difficult to know which way round the picture should be.
When we got back it was to nice to go indoors so we had another walk down to the fish farm on Esthwaite Water. It is getting colder as the sun has dropped and it is going to be another frosty night. I think we will be lighting the log fire before long

It is a frosty morning, the first real one of the winter, clear blue skies, no wind, but very cold.
I have spent most of the morning on the phone to Matthews travel agent, American Airlines have changed the rules on his airfares and left him with a large increase which seems a bit unfair, the travel agent is trying to reason with the airline but it's like pulling teeth.
Hope to get a walk later in the afternoon.

It was a fantastic sunny day and we had planned a long walk but events conspired against us.
First we had a dripping overflow at Buckle Yeat and my best efforts at fixing it failed so I rang Peter the plumber. He had a sink to replace at Buckle Yeat so turned up to sort out both jobs, we also sorted out a radiator bleeding screw and a dodgy hot water tap. All in all a few problems solved in one day. We had planned one day to reseal the slate floor in the kitchen at home so Helen took the opportunity to do it today.

This is a wildlife viewing platform down on the shores at Windermere, the idea is you stand on the platform and look for the wildlife to appear, squirrels, deer, rabbits, etc etc.

It was a great November day with plenty of sunshine.
We went to shopping today, new jeans for both me and Helen.
Matthew went in his own car, he needed a haircut and is playing squash tonight with his mate Rupert at Langdale.I took these pictures whilst crossing the ferry back home.
This is Belle Isle in the middle of Windemere, it has a spectacular round house on it which was destroyed a few years ago by fire, luckily the island is owned by a famous insurance company so there should have been no problem with any insurance claims.

It was a cool overcast day and we had a bit of a lazy day.
After breakfast we had a walk up to Buckle Yeat to check the mail, Denis had taken a booking for next June from some regulars who live on Jersey, they have missed out for the last couple of years so this year they are getting sorted early.
While we were there the meter reading people came and they were looking for the electric meter belonging to the sawmill, that's technology for you he had hand held computer that told him it was still there. The sawmill closed in 1989 and moved to Hawkshead.


We set off towards Far Sawrey and cut up into Castle Wood then back on to the Dub Lane and home.


Willie the local painter is working next door so me and him had a football natter,Willies a big United fan.

It was a fantastic sunny November day, but there was a ground frost this morning and Helen had to defrost the windscreen, a full turn out at the guesthouse, everyone seemed to have enjoyed their weekend.
First thing this morning Gary from Hill Top farm was bringing in these cows, his daughter Amy and brother Melvin were helping.
This is Esthwaite Water taken from the top of Coopers Lane.

Helen, Alan and me went a walk up to Moss Eccles and expected to see lots of walkers but the only people we met were Denis & Margaret coming back down and neighbours Jimmy & Elizabeth going up. We walked the rest of the walk with them. They had heard the same news as us from Tony & Lorna a blind couple who stay in the village, that their retired guide dog Wallis had sadly died. Lorna has a new dog now called Kerry.
The first Chritmas tree in Sawrey, outside Hill Top shop, I went to take a picture and ended up climbing the steps and putting the ribbon on the top.

A bright sunny day, so after cleaning out the gutters a walk was the order of the day.
We set off up Stoney Lane and met Paul doing some walling, we had a chat to him and then on past Moss Eccles. Three swans seem to have turned up on the tarn all of a sudden, the last pair had all sorts of problems raising young and then one was killed, a fox being the most likely candidate.We went down a very slippery path to Belle Grange and then back along the lake shore past Harrowslack and up ferry hill.
The walk took longer than usual because we kept meeting locals.

This a stream coming down off Claife Heights.

A tranquil view across Windermere, not many boats moving about the lake.
I don't know what sort of tree this is but what a stunning show of colour.
Back down to Sawrey and Helen went straight home while I made the fire up, we were in a rush to get the joint of beef into the oven for tonights supper. My brother Alan is coming over for a couple of nights so we will be pitching up at the pub tonight.
We are just watching the England game and they are under pressure.

I got a couple of e-mails from a regular blog watcher in Seattle this morning, she is teacher and has a Sawrey notice board at her school.
It was wild and windy overnight but the sun is out at the moment, I am going to try and fix a section of guttering at Margaret's, she gets soaked going up and down the steps to the door.
Everybody is up and out this morning, making the best of the day.

I took these pictures before the rain eased.
The view from room 5, I have seen it better.


This is Gary on his quad bike avoiding some intrepid walkers.



The group of 8 arrived mid-afternoon and the rest just after dark, Margaret (bless her) showed the last group in so we headed home.
The 8 party have all stayed before and the 4 party included a couple who used to stay years ago, they were part of a group who went water skiing,that has all stopped due to the 10mph speed limit.

A miserable morning, wind, rain, dark black clouds.
I just swept a load of leaves up off the path during a lull in the rain, but it has started again.
Denis and Margaret have gone shopping,we have a full house tonight,a party of 8 and a party of 4. I think the foursome are going to be late. Matthew set off to work earlier, Coniston to start but he might have to go through to Ambleside shop as cover for someone who is having transport problems.
A lot of gunfire this morning, the pheasant shooters are busy, the other day a visitor told Helen they were shooting peasants.

Off to Kendal today, Helen had a hairdresser appoinment.
The wind was blowing a gale at home so we thought the ferry would be out of action, I gave them a ring and they said is was operating as normal so we went that way. Windermere was like a mill pond no wind at all.The ferry seems to running at an angle and before it straightens up it looks like it is headed down towards Newby Bridge, drive wheels need replacing the ferryman tells me.





These berries on this tree look like christmas decorations, they well could be, all the shops in Kendal are already decked out for the festive season.
Matthew is back home from work and just had a walk up to see Denis & Margaret.

One out of the blue today, dry and sunny.
I went to Ulverston this morning and picked Alan up at home, we were off to a funeral,my best mate from years ago had sadly lost his wife, she was only 48 and they had been married for 31 years I was their best man all them years ago. All funerals are sad but this more so because of her young age.



This Estwhaite Water with the fells in the background



Feeding time at Belle Green Farm



This is Moss Eccles peeping through the trees.
Helen went over the tops and come across a lot of vehicles and people,there was a pheasant shoot just below the tarn, we had seen the pegs last week but we did'nt know what was on, apparently the last time there was a shoot up there was 40 years ago.

A really wet start to the day so a walk was out of the question, not to mention blistered feet from yesterday(new boots).
We had a couple of jobs to do in Hawkshead, ie pay the paper bill, buy stamps, etc etc.The road to Hawkshead had a few deep floods and Roland was out trying to free the drains.
It seems to have gone dark very early so we have settled down for the evening.
We took the long way back as the rain stopped.The road back was clear so Roland had been successful.




These are a couple of shots towards and beyond Ambleside taken from Barngates crossroads.
The rain has started again,

We called in at Ambleside chose a pair of boots and headed for Elterwater, we parked up and set of in sunshine.
through the village and the up a track that was more of a beck than a footpath, plenty of walkers about.


This is Little Langdale Tarn with Wrynose pass in the background.


Yours truly on Slaters Bridge, we crossed the bridge and walked down to the ford back across the river, we decided to carry on a bit further and take a look at Colwith Force.



Photogenic sheep posing for a family shot.


Colwith Force and there was plenty of water rushing down today. We carried on a bit further and joined the road back to Elterwater just as the heavens opened and we sheltered against a barn wall, the rain eased so we carried on back into the village.
A sandwich and a pint of Coniston Bluebird in the Britannia Inn which was packed out and then home.
The new boots were just beginning to hurt so it was good to take them off.

Another picture of Cunsey Beck in full spate yesterday, more rain overnight but a sunny morning.
Mattew has gone to work, Ambleside shop today for the first time, he will be on his own because one of the other staff tried to go through a flood in his car and it was a bit deeper than he thought.
No one in at Buckle Yeat and it seems very strange with time on our hands (we will get used to it). I think we will go and find me a new pair of walking boots I am fed up of wet feet, then have a walk and break them in.

Well a milestone, this is the 200th post on this blog, where does the time go.
We gave up on High Dam, by the time Helen sorted all the washing and ironing we guessed it was going to go dark on us mid walk so we did a local walk, even then we had to double back because the lane we set off on was flooded, I need new boots and my feet get wet on damp ground never mind floods.


We like shots of paths, this is down towards Cunsey Bridge just off from the foot of Can brow.

This is Cunsey Bridge from the footpath, not much leeway under the bridge but to the left of the bridge as you look at it there is another route for the water, it's like an overflow.
On the other side of thre road there is various channels and water gates from the time the water was used to provide power at Cunsey Mill.

Stormy night and early morning but dry at the moment.
Everybody out today so a busy time, no one to come in this week till Friday so a few days off.
If it is still dry this afternoon and we get all the jobs done we thought we go to High Dam for a different walk, well that's the plan at the moment but the weather might change that plan.

After the rain stopped in the afternoon we managed a walk, we went up Coopers lane and Helen took this picture back down a very muddy lane.
Liverpool had a good win against the Villa, all wins are good but we are still waiting for Peter Crouch to get off the mark.
On the walk I think all the village was out, they all had the same idea, get some fresh air while the rain eased.

There was the sound of gunshots this morning as the pheasant shoot was in full bore (sorry).
This is one of the pheasants that was not keen on the sport so got out of the way.
We have an Aston Villa fan in for breakfast, I might mention the footy.
A few impressive fireworks let off over the village tonight, not sure who was responsible but thanks anyway.

The last guests did not arrive till 11.45 last night so a late night to bed.
At 7.30 this morning the sun was shining and the sky was blue but the weatherman said it would rain and by the end of breakfast he was spot on, it's pouring down.
The rain is not deterring people, 4 lads have gone playing golf at Sedbergh and the rest of the party are going a walk with the exception of "gran" she is going looking round the shops, well she is in her 90,s.
My inspiration for this blog was a web site Helen found before we went on holiday in the summer, it caught her eye because it is a couple who live in the village next to the one we stay in.
Take it from me it is a beautiful part of Spain and a world away from the busy Costa's, check out Geoff & Janes site by clicking on the Benarraba Blog link on the right.

Photograph problem resolved.
The top one is the bonfire yesterday afternoon and the next one was taken from the beer garden at the Hest Bank.
A showery morning and just a bit cooler, no breakfasts this morning so we could catch up on some jobs at home, I planted out the cyclamen we bought yesterday.
Matthew went to Ulverston last night to play squash with Alan and should be back soon, he is not working today.
A full house tonight and tomorrow.

No pictures tonight, problems with the technology.
We went to Morecambe and the wind and rain was sweeping across the bay.
We made a dash to the market and then on to the supermarket, we got soaked in the process.
For our lunch we went to the Hest Bank pub in suprisingly the village of Hest Bank, it is a strange place you turn inland off the coast road through a housing estate and all of a sudden there ars boats and barges over a high wall it looks odd but you have found the canal which is right in the centre of the village.
The pubs garden goes down to the canal bank, and in summer must be really busy, we always have fish & chips with mushy peas, no need to eat again all day.
Pouring down tonight so stayed in and never ventured to the bonfire down the dub.

A bit of dreary morning, only three for breakfast and no one to come in today, we are full tomorrow so I will put up the no vacancies for tonight. I have been on bed making duties this morning, not my favorite task.
I think we are off to Morecambe today for some plants off of a guy who stands the market, we will combine it with the grocery shop and may have lunch out.

When I got back from Kendal after my clip out, me and Helen went for a walk down the dub, we had just set off and the rain started but we soon reached the point of no return so carried on regardless. We reached the church and were relatively dry, we then went into the church yard to look for the tree Mrs Wilson and her family planted in memory of her late husband Eric.
On the way back across the fields all of sudden there was a flash of lightning and a tremendous clap of thunder, the heavens opened and we got soaked to the skin.

This is a clematis which is still in flower and looked out of place in the lakes on a wet day in November.

Heavy rain overnight but trying to dry up this morning.
Just the two ladies in tonight unless any one else rings but I doubt it.
Hair cut today so off to Kendal a day earlier than usual.
The ferry will be off for maintenance work later but we might catch it before it stops.

Had a nice long work this afternoon, we went up behind the Sawrey Hotel and up on to Claife Heights, we then followed the footpath for a while before taking a bit of a detour along the forestry road, the offical footpath is really hard work beacuse it is all over slippy tree roots.


This is a shot across Windermere.

This is a path that runs through the woods just under Scale Ivy.
There was plenty of work going on up on the tops clearing fallen trees.
We watched the footy tonight and a good win for Liverpool 3-0. but when you want Chelsea to win they let you down.

Another fine and sunny start to the day, wonderful for November.
A few guests leave today so only 6 in tonight it gets less and less towards the weekend.
Denis is off to Hawkshead for his flu jab, wild horses would not drag Margaret for hers.


This the autumn view of my daily commute.


Penny (or more)for the guy, this fella is outside the farm up the lane.
We should be able to have a long walk this afternoon once all the jobs have been done.