Mainly for a friend across the Big Pond

I haven't blogged for ages and, last week, this appeared on Facebook:

"Ms. Helene, I sure so miss your view!"

So, mainly for a wonderful lady from across the Big Pond...

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Believe it or not, Mark has just finished his three years at University. It really doesn't seem that long since we were first transporting him up to his little room in Penrith and now, it's all over.

So, last week, I made a trip up to Cumbria to collect him and all of his 'stuff'. I stopped over, so as not to have to do two long drives and a load of packing all in one day, and we spent the first afternoon in the Langdale Valley, chillin' at the boulders.

Actually, I say 'chillin', but in reality, it was melting hot and I retreated under the shade of this well spread oak tree to enjoy the views and the sound of the sheep farmer bellowing instructions and encouragements to his dog.

The small cluster of buildings is Baysbrown Farm, where I have camped on a couple of occasions.

Looking the other way, you would have had a view of the Pikes, but that would have meant standing up... climbing down... and up... (Did I mention that it was hot?), but I liked the look of the fellside through the branches.

Oh, ok then...

...but you'll notice that I've cheated. This is my view as I approach Chapel Stile whenever I stay at the campsite I mentioned. I took it back in June, just before our extended heatwave hit.

Anyway, one of the last things I did before we left Cumbria is to buy a kayak. One of Mark's friends was selling it on so I jumped at the opportunity.

Having transported Mark's back a couple of weeks previously, I knew that it would go on the roof of the car :)

And so, of course, we had to try it out...

Just to clarify. the fluorescent green kayak in the picture is not mine; mine is no-where near this long. The photo was taken after drying off, drinking coffee and eating ice-cream; looking to where we had been and to where we will definitely return!