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It's Sunday and there's me having a quiet day after yesterday's walk, doing some outstanding paperwork.

At 12.30 the dogs nudge me into making them lunch, well, fetching them a couple of Bonio biscuits from the tin.

After my lunch they nudge me again, they didn't quite bring me their dog leads, but certainly hinted at a walk.

It's a lovely day outside so with camera in my hand we set off, unsure of where we would end up.

Walking from home . . . not a bad view from the roadside gate of the adjacent field.

Ahead is snow-covered Whiteside, seen above Scale Hill / Lanthwaite Hows.

The moon-topped, snow-topped Whiteside.

Rannerdale Knotts is snow free, unlike Great Gable in the far distance.

Snow melt and recent rains have filled Puffin Tarn, the name I give to the water filled hollow in the next field.

The view from the top of Scale Hill is rather nice . . . but where shall we go now ?  

Perhaps not down to the lake today, lets try out the Picket How Path which I haven't walked for years.

Looking back at the old tree and Grasmoor.

The footpath I'm after crosses the lower edge of the Hows behind me so I need to drop down the back of the fell.

The footpath across a couple of fields was very ordinary, in fact a bit damp towards the centre.

I concentrated on footwork not camera work . . . sorry !

The Picket How path reaches the road at a rather awkward, elevated stile (for dogs that is).

They have to jump the stile but not fall the four feet off the wall onto the road the other side !

I get them to wait, using a photo opportunity as an excuse ;o)

Scale Hill Cottages, once a classic Victorian hotel on the main road, must have looked good with a coach-and-four waiting outside.

Nowadays it has been converted to a rather nice self catering establishment.

The road has moved too and now runs behind the buildings on the left so their cobbled forecourt is delightfully traffic free.

Looking good in the winter sunshine today.

Winter but with signs of Spring . . .

as the bank of snowdrops by the top entrance to the woods starts into bloom.