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Ann's school friend Helen is over from Australia and has been able to visit us for a few days before she flies home next weekend.

In between all the catch-up chats, discussing life in Australia and putting the world to right,

we did actually get out to walk the dogs and show her some of the local scenery.

No need for either of them to stand on the bottom gate rung as they are both the same height !

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It's been raining . . . did you notice . . . so we went in search of waterfalls.

There's a great one hidden in Holme Woods so we parked at Maggie's Bridge car park.

The main parking area was rather full so we utilised the four wheel drive and parked on the muddy overflow parking area to the right.

The old bridge has been damaged when they were repairing the top bridge, so has been closed to vehicles.

You can still walk and cycle the original bridge to the farm.

We've extended the walk to Holme Woods today by taking the track up towards High Nook Farm.

Ahead is the imposing bulk of Carling Knott . . . strangely not one of Wainwright's 214 summits.



Views through the trees . . . of Grasmoor	. . . and of the northern ascent of Mellbreak.

"Seen better days" . . . the old tractor alongside the High Nook track.

Over the summer the lambs have grown . . .

. . . now they are nearly as big as their mums.

We took the 'permissive path' across the field to Watergate

and as we did the sun made a welcome appearance.

The view across the fields towards the Crummock / Buttermere fells.

Field mushrooms . . . the top one with a blue/green coloured cap.



A six inch tall variety with a flat cap.	More bracket-like fungus toward the woodland.

These delicate capped mushroom have sprouted from a very fertile part of the field.

The path leads on to Watergate . . . and quickly we are back alongside a sunny Loweswater.

However, turn your back and the weather looks rather different.



Two photos grabbed from Helen's iPad camera . . .	. . . taken at the bench inside the gate to the woods.



The photos belies the steepness of the climb.	Up two levels and down the next forest track.

Sadly a slight misjudgment in navigation meant we needed a little off-piste to reach the forest track with the waterfall.

When we climbed the first path we should have gone up three levels !

Still . . . here we are at the waterfalls.



The bottom falls before the beck disappears under the bridge.	Dougal (ball in mouth) and Dylan on the steep waterfall climb.

A steep, occasionally slippery path climbs up alongside the beck in order to get a close view of the top waterspout.

[ If you visit don't go any further . . . it gets dangerous higher up and there's not much extra to see.]

The recent rains mean there's a good flow in Holme Beck . . . and the waterspout is in full flow.

It shoots the water about twelve or fifteen feet into a chasm below.

	- - - o o o - - - "The realism of an iPad Air " Helen is trying out her iPad as a replacement for her camera whilst on holiday. It gives excellent photos plus internet access and less heavy for travelling. I couldn't resist this photo opportunity when the spout of the waterfall seemed to be gushing out of her iPad. Now if that was real . . . it certainly would be clever ! - - - o o o - - -



Red Rowan buds matching Helen's clothing.	A quick photo of me, glasses on to check the camera controls.

Back down at the forest track . . . a blockage further up means the second spout is not in operation at present.

Time to be heading back . . . passing the bothy along the way.

The bothy is in use this week . . . as is the bench with the view.

Crossing the footbridge on the way back to Watergate Farm.

The few drops of rain we experienced in the woods fortunately didn't get any worse

and we headed back to the car without need to resort to waterproof clothing.

Passing the cattle on the meadow fields.

They seemed to be grazing towards the top of the field so walking along the track with the dogs was not a problem.

Time for tea . . . and preparing supper for Ian (Smith) and ourselves later.

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