" Cogra Moss with Double Dogs." at EveryTrail

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A busy morning at home for me as the labours of love (aka ... hard work) come to some sort of fruition in the garden.

Fighting our way through the jungle of the fruit cage I managed to harvest about six pounds of black currents

with a punnet of raspberries, loganberries and two of rhubarb that Ann has cooked prior to freezing.

Add to that a couple of courgettes and a cucumber from the greenhouse and I class that as not a bad morning's work.

. . . but it seems Dylan wasn't involved and so had time to relax inside in the relative cool of the lounge.

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Our friends Sophie and Chris also have two retrievers and so in the afternoon we offer to take them for a walk, as they do ours sometimes.

We call in and collect them on the way to Felldyke where we set off on a shorter walk alongside Cogra Moss reservoir.

With this heat we're not tempted to climb too high and the cool waters of the reservoir will benefit the dogs I've no doubt.

Meet the gang . . . Daisy, Harvey, Dylan and Harry . . . with Ann of course in the sleeveless tee-shirt.

Just look at the colour of that sky . . . positively mediterranean.

At the gate above the car park we could look across the Solway and see range after range of scottish hills in Dumfries and Galloway.

The large one in the distance we take to be Merrick with Cairnsmore of Fleet to the left.

Must try and get over there again sometime.

Out to the west (and into the sun) we can just make out the Isle of Man.

The gate into the old forestry that borders the reservoir.

The passing of the years deems that the reservoir no longer supplies water and the forestry no longer supplies trees at the moment

as it was cut down a few years ago and had been re-planted with deciduous trees.

The track climbs slightly and we draw level with the lake.

The old reservoir nestles in the hollow created between Knock Murton and the back of the Loweswater Fells.

The major peak of the group of course is Blake Fell.

As expected the dogs make a bee-line for the water . . . but they had to come out and have a paddle around a little further up.

This understanding gentleman was trying to fish, but with little success . . . he said it was too hot for the fish anyway.

Perhaps re-positioning the dogs further up will chase any fish back in his direction (with any luck).

Water babies . . . three of which are definitely well past childhood.

The other one is young and just likes making funny faces !

We sit and watch them enjoying the water . . . well Ann does anyway.

Time for a little more exercise so we move on up the lakeside path.

Greylag Geese out on the water.

There are several small islands which the fishing club use and which can grow natural vegetation due to the lack of grazing.

A meadow pippet off to enjoy an afternoon tea.

His find . . . a no-doubt moist and juicy caterpillar.

We turn and retrace our steps.

Four dog-magnet . . . the treat bag . . . gathering the dogs before we get to the fisherman again.

The lake is looking lovely in the afternoon sunshine.

At the forest gate and passing that rose bay willow herb again, this time with the Scottish hills in the background.

The Loweswater Show this year will be on Sunday Sept 7th.  One of the competitions is for a "photo of a flower".

I'll have to dig through the archive to see if I've ever taken any ;o)

Four lovely flowers in our lives . . . I've folded the back seat flat to get them all in.

We returned Harvey and Daisy to Lamplugh where we enjoyed late afternoon "refreshment" with Sophie and Chris

before driving back alongside Loweswater.  They must have been very enjoyable refreshments as it is gone seven in the evening.

Mellbreak and Hen Comb from the water's edge.

It has been a long, hot day and the dogs crash out after their supper . . . time to make ours.

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