Hiley Website

The last week of April and I'm at home keeping busy and keeping myself out of trouble.

This set of photos tries to give an idea of the varied nature of the week, bearing in mind there's a dog walk every day,

visitors are returning to the Lakes on holidays and gradually warming weather is seeing off the last of the April overnight frosts.

For the first time this year I've had two red squirrels in the garden, eating me out of house and home.

[ Sadly we lost one on the road about a hundred yards from the house this week, which explains the recent drop in consumption. ]

[ Any conflict between squirrel and a vehicle usually has only one outcome, just as their life is getting easier with the warmer weather.]

Martin up the road has been keeping his eye out and his camera ready and sent me these two lovely photos from the Vicarage Garden.

First this Male sparrow hawk, staying barely long enough for him to find his camera and take just one shot . . . as the hawk opened his wings to fly away.

The other photo was of this lovely weasel who remained in the garden just long enough to have his portrait taken.

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A quick visit to Rannerdale on Tues 27th April to check out the flowers.

Quite a number of other people were there doing the same thing.

There were a few bluebells in bloom, but the cold, dry April has significantly delayed their appearance.

[ I'll be going back this week to see how they are getting on.]

Down to the lake on a sunny day.

It looks good enough for a swim . . . but the lake is probably at its coldest temperature of the year in late spring.

It's a wet suit job or wait six months till it is the 'warmest time of the year'.

The lambs are growing fast . . . the farmers up here generally delay lambing till April due to the weather.

One farmer locally even holds back his lambing time to early May, as he lambs outdoors.

Only now has the grass really started to show signs of growing.

One of my neighbours has been playing "Chinese chequers" keeps swapping his lambs around from one field to another

trying to find something worthwhile to eat !

In my garden the marsh Marigolds have bloomed well despite the cold conditions.

The willow tree on the other side of the pond is greening up nicely too.

The new magnolia bush by Ann's chair has sprouted its first flowers.

Nights of covering the veg patch have come to and end hopefully, as overnight temperatures stay above freezing.



Unfortunately the unprotected azalea flowers have suffered.	Postman Pat has just started receiving a new coat of paint.

Stand back in amazement . . . I've even put a new coat of paint on the front wall of the shed !

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Managed two walks up Mellbreak . . . this was the first . . . well. the weather was nice and it looked inviting.

Even the dogs had "a peep around the corner".

Tom would be proud . . . Dylan was quite surprised how deep "Tom's pool" was !

Website viewers and friends returned to The Lakes now that self-catering holidays are allowed.

Richard and Mary phoned me and asked if I would like a walk . . . of course . . . but sadly it wasn't quite so sunny this morning.

Nevertheless our walk through Lanthwaite Woods was delightful.

. . . and predictably damp for my keen log-chasing Dougal.



Another Dougal portrait on the bridge by the weir.	Mine after we got back and before we headed out for . . .

Lunch in the Kirkstile Inn garden . . . hurray !

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A second trip up Mellbreak followed that afternoon, after Richard and Mary left and after lunch had time to go down.

This one wasn't planned . . . it just happened because Alex (from Rose Cottage) fancied the walk !

He and I on Mellbreak . . . taken by a fellow Mellbreak walker . . . thank you.

Alex's favourite view from Mellbreak

is the one from the edge, looking down on Crummock and Buttermere.

The traverse path, taken on our descent from the fell.

Below us, the flat expanse of Mosedale with the disproportionately small Mosedale Beck.

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I rounded my week of by finishing some rather nice Cornish Clotted Cream . . . thanks Susie !

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