So as I whiffled my way back through the Tulgey Wood, I did hear a cuckoo, but caught neither sight nor sound of the flame-eyed jabberwock, so there was no call for the vorpal sword (or folding walking stick as some (without imagination) might have perceived it) to do any snicker-snacking, which is probably just as well as I don’t do much galumphing these days, and Harry’s not big in chortling  ….

Ich verstehe nicht!

I’m not surprised….. What happened next?

We went back to the campsite – what was that smell all around?

You mean that fragrance filling the frangled air? That pungent aroma pervading the parkland – yes the whole site is carpeted with wild garlic, and it’s currently in full flower:

The park is on the site of the former gunpowder factory bside the river Kent, just south of Kendal (I think there was another one at Milnthorpe):

The Caravan Park covers a huge area, but pitches are just a few at a time in little clearings in the wood, or maybe indivdual spaces, like ours:

However, I was a bit late organising this trip, and I didn’t really realise it was a bank holiday. The site was full for the weekend, so we had to move on.

We did – and you didn’t really have a plan, did you?

No, but I think we got lucky. One idea was just to go home, then I thought of wild camping in Mosedale – a frequent picnic spot over the years, but the facilities of a camp site are useful, and I remembered the caravan park at the Westmorland services on the  M6, so headed there – didn’t even go in – ‘RESERVATIONS ONLY’ said the sign at the gate. Left the motorway at Shap, and wandered down to Ullswater, crossing the new, temporary (?) bridge at Pooley Bridge – the centuries old one was washed away in December – then turned up towards Dalemain and, just in case, pulled in to Waterfoot Park. At first they said the were full, but they made some calls to other sites, also full, then had a little discussion and offered me a pitch on grass, but dry and hard, and a bit ‘uneven’, but if it was just for one night or two, I could have it. There was even a fish & chip van came on site at 6.30, so no need to cook! (Though the walk UP to where it was parked was a bit challenging!)  

So gut – I did not know to where you had disappeared!

Next day was Sunday, and M’sieur was interested to find the traditional Sunday lunch. He remembered the Pub at Stainton – just up the road, where many times have we been (I also have stood outside there before), so we went there. It was good, ja?

It was spot on. A lovely roast lamb dinner, and a cheesecake dessert, taken al fresco – Languedoc, nothin! And then – up Mosedale! 

Ah, dass war ein Bischen dumm – this was a bit silly, no? Holiday Sunday, lovely weather, popular valley, but single track road ….

Well …we managed.

Yes, but we couldn’t park anywhere, and turning round was very difficult; you didn’t even take any photos!

No, but I did at the next spot – Carrock Beck, another one time favourite, especially from Plumpton –

Where?

Before your time!  Finding the beck was a bit tricky, partly because there was very little water so one couldn’t hear it till very close and also – the gorse! Head high in places and in full flower. But I did find it, then sat beside Harry for an hour or so, enjoying the sunshine and doing a puzzle or two. Then back to Waterfoot via Troutbeck and Aira and the drive alonside Ullswater.

On Monday we packed up – including the ‘water’ jobs and left Waterfoot having not had breakfast, but we drove through St. John’s and along the newly re-made road past Thirlmere and got to Grasmere Garden Centre (it’s the only place I can park without having to pay – and/or walk!) with just a few minutes to go before they stopped serving breakfast!

This is a great time to be in Grasmere and other spots nearby! Banks of rhododenrons and  azaleas are a blaze of colour, added to the the wisteria, lilac and laburnum. Once that display is over, everything turns an increasingly tired and uniform green, until autumn livens things up again. Still, I think another visit is called for in July, question is, can I retrieve the boat from France before then ….. ?

We can go together – see how is Lady Lucy.

A nice idea, Harry, but there and back is a lot of driving, and there’s only me to do it …

… and other (less important) matters.

Yes, Rachel had to be away from home on Wednesday, May 4th, and Sean, though at home, had to be in his office working, so couldn’t be in charge of Shannon full-time …. and the child-minder’s was closed. So even Grandads have their uses – or ‘Gaia’, as I am known at 14, Oakleigh Close.

I went over on Tuesday evening and found Mike, another Grandad, already in residence. Shannon was quiet once in bed so the evening was peaceful. Mike slept in the lounge on the convertible, and I slept in Harry, as usual, though his water pump is awaiting repair, but that’s another story.

Mike left soon after breakfast, so I was i/c Shannon – or was it the other way round? Her current preferred viewing is ‘Lion King 2’. We watched it through twice, or rather had it on while Shannon spread an assortment of toys and things over the lounge floor. She also gave me a lesson in ironing.

We decided to go out after lunch – or ‘dinner’ as I’m supposed to call it in Yorkshire, – and having driven past Pugney’s Country Park quite often I though we’d go there. Shannon doesn’t say ‘Are we nearly there yet?’, she just just keeps saying ‘Are we here?’. I tried to explain that we’re always ‘here’, but not yet where we’re going, which is ‘there’, until we get there. Hmm ….. might as well have been using subordinating conjunctions….. (Political rant on grammar for six year olds on my other site.)

Shannon’s concept of a ‘park’ is limited to a playground with swings and things; she hasn’t quite got the idea of an open space which may include the playground. But anyway, Pugney’s looked like a good choice, with a lake, boats, ducks, swans, Kaffee und Kuchen had we wanted them, and a wonderful playground.

We enjoyed all that, BUT – when we got to the playground, it was all shut up and fenced off! (Possibly not quite finished and ready for the season.) Park!! On the way back to the car, there was some compensation in that the swans – all six of them (collective noun, please?) – took off as a squadron (that’s not it, surely!) and “flew right over there”! Sorry, no photo.

‘Park’ now became a prority. The only one I knew for sure where I could ‘park’ close to the playground was back in Sharlston, so we set off back the way we had come. “Are we here?” was asked every minute or so, but then, quite suddenly, the questions stopped ….. Madam was asleep!  So I overshot Sharlston and did a circuit incuding Nostell and Featherstone – twice, incuding a 20 – 30 minute rest in Featherstone second time round, at the end of which Shannon woke up, quite happily, and we went to the park.

Back home, a message from Mummy told us she was on her way, and Shannon could stay up till she arrived – Sean having left to drive to Cardiff for a meeting next day. So I was saved from having to ‘do’ bedtime ….. probably just as well!

Was there something else? Dunno, really. Franky got hammered by a hailstorm:

– Put yer ead back inside, yer daft bat! It’s too soft to be oot i this!

Well, thanks for that – Pal!