February

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After all the rain and winds we have all been experiencing over the past weeks, Sunday dawned clear and sunny: it made such a difference! It was lovely for families just starting their half term holidays. I spend some time in the morning doing some much needed work in the garden and then Wattie and I went for a walk up Mosedale. The snowdrops were out in the churchyard and the crocus are almost ready to take over. I enjoy walking up Mosedale, it so very quickly feels very remote and although most of it is a there and back walk the views are different each way!

There have been several branches and trees down during the storms although in general I think we have got off very lightly. A tree came down just further along the lane and blocked the road. It was soon cleared but initially just to about a car’s width.

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I was talking to a friend recently who has a long wooded drive to her house. A tree came down and blocked the drive. She was therefore surprised to see the postman arriving in his van: apparently he carries a chain saw in the back of his van to deal with such emergencies! What lengths the postal service will go to to deliver mail!

The weather has not been conducive to much higher level walking of late but there are bonuses; I have discovered some lovely low level, more sheltered walks. The Words in the Woods trail in Whinlatter Forest is a varied and delightful walk with quotations about trees along the route. I also came across the Comb Beck trail which winds through trees and glades beside a beck: there are a couple of ponds I never knew existed and the ruins of an old dam which was once used for mining deep in the mountain. www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-8Z4EC2

A couple of weeks ago road diversion signs appeared at the Buttermere turn, Lorton and Whinlatter. It was a bit of a puzzle to work out initially what it was all about and where the closure was: the road up Borrowdale was closed is repair by the Watendlath turn as it had collapsed and the diversion is over Honister Pass!! This is for six weeks!

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