Mountain Passes, Caves and We made it to the Show!

We are still on our holiday in the Lakes ... it has been a soggy and windy week so far, but we haven't been put off.  We have enjoyed the time visiting areas both new and old. Tuesday saw us high up near the Langdale Pikes, perched overlooking the Hardknott Pass.  The gale force winds were difficult to stand up in (I tried) so was grateful to the sheer weight of the car keeping us grounded.  At least it was mostly dry at that point.  We went to  White Scar Caves yesterday...  Going through a half mile or so of the accessible area, part of which was over an underground stream, through a passage where I had to bend double on more than one occasion.  Thank goodness for the hard hat is all I can say.. I hit my head quite a few times! 

The stalactite and 'mite formations were 'picturesque' (a budgie, a witch's hat and face and a cat to name just a few).  There were some incredible straw stalactites also.. fluorescing a luminous ultra violet. These form literally like a straw, with a hollow centre.  When they get blocked, they can form a carrot shape which looks very strange if it blocks half way down.  The history and geology of the caves was interesting to say the least.  Our guide, a young woman who had been there two years, was extrememly knowledgeable with a great sense of humour.

Well, we have finally made it to the Westmoreland Show (this is our second visit to the area in the same week as the show - last year MIL was rushed to hospital so we came later) despite the on/off state of the persistently wet weather! I think had we not got advanced tickets though we probably wouldn't have gone as it was a little on the damp side. However, we were more dry than wet, which was good. We went early, as we thought about the consequences of lots of visitors and muddy fields... which turned out to be more than just a concern (later we watched tractors pulling huge horse boxes through the axle deep mud and one stupid and obviously inexperienced driver, careen down the hill and skid at the gate onto the road!)

We spent a huge amount of time looking at the animals, particularly rare breeds, and were interested in the fact that we could be in the same enclosure whilst the judges were 'doing their thing'! LOL. I was fascinated by the size of the animals too, from tiny (less than knee high) to almost hip height, white, dark, blotchy, tweedy and so on, in colour. And the horns on the rams... positively satanic looking on the Jacobs! We spent time in the Alpacca tent, watching the judging and listening to the amusing commentry by one of the organisers, some of it against himself and the 'creed' according to the 'Alpacca' way of life.. eg they only give birth during daylight hours of 6am and 8pm... they do not give birth in bad weather... their gestation is between 10.5 and 12.5 months and so on. Then of course there were all the colours... eg fawn... light, medium or dark and so on. It actually was very interesting but quite amusing too. They make good 'guard dogs' apperently for sheep! No lambs are ever taken if there are Alpaccas with them!!!

We visited the WI tent, some super displays of food, crafts (struck up a great conversation with a lady who was spinning with a contempory 'wheel' from New Zealand, using only local or rare breeds wool.)  If I could have afforded the £10 for the 50g-100g balls; depending on the breed, my friends would all have got one for their knitting!) and 'afternoon tea'... photos to follow when I can download them at home. The internet here keeps dropping out in the middle of things! The Schools and Learning tent was foggy inside.... (yes, I do mean that as there was a definite mistiness in the air - it was so much warmer inside than out, but also quite damp feeling). It was also full of inspiration for me and I photographed as many displays as I could, very aware that I had left my spare battery at the flat! One or two GCSE art books were incredible... how it has all changed since I did my GCE O level. From there we walked up and down the aisles and eventually found the produce tent... all locally produced food and lots to try. If only we were local or at least able to freeze some and bring it home without defrosting!!!

We found lunch at a stand which was doing locally produced meats (pork, beef burgers, bacon etc. We had a stuffed pork (plus stuffing and apple) roll each and oh how much tastier it was than that from a supermarket. I tried not to think of the poor little piglet we were par-taking of, as I munched on the tasty fare. We could have had crepes or doughnuts, strawberries and cream, meringues dipped in chocolate and so on, for desert but.... I still look like a roly poly.. think a few pounds have crept back despite me packing salads when we go out!

DH predicted the weather would clear in the afternoon and indeed it did. The sun came out and we spent an hour or so longer mooching amongst the machinery and vendors, finishing by the show ring where the heavy horses (ridden) were about to be judged. The show jumping was later than advertised as the ground was just too wet to begin as stated. We watched the carriage driving for a few minutes, then the hunter class (unregistered) for a few more. People were beginning to swarm in at this point so we decided we had had enough and left, before the 'car park' got too churned up.  It was a super show and it was sad that the weather had stopped people from going - I suspect many vendors will have lost out substantially!

The forecast is wet for the early hours tomorrow, but hopefully we will get to Coniston so that DH can sail. We will not go if it is too windy as the boats available are better with more crew! I for one do not wish to be dumped in the lake! DH is much quicker in his movements and need to stay dry than I!!!! LOL We have bought dry bags for the camera!!!! I'm taking my good one with lenses! Heaven help me.

Tomorrow night is the Kendal Torchlight parade.  Fingers x. 

In this week I have relaxed.  I have read two books - watched an episode of the Swedish programme The Killing (missed almost all the episodes!),  learned to play Suduko ( a genuine surprise to me as I am not mathmatical and cut fabric for a quilt. This has been 'my time' and I have enjoyed it.

Oh yes, for any who are interested... DD landed back in the country yesterday... she drove her grandparents up to Newcastle today..  I am still awaiting her call to say she is home having done the 500+ mile round trip in one day! Kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daughter's, holidays and what else will the weather chuck at us?

It is once more our annual holiday... so what is it about our 'sacred' time away, that seems to inspire our daughter to have an emergency that only we can help her with?  She is thousands of miles away from home in New York.  She has an infected leg requiring $900 worth of hospital treatment and $93 of anti-biotic.  Yes, she has insurance, but of course has had to pay out up front!   Could we help her as she didn't know if she had enough in her account to cover it?  This, at 6.00am in the morning, was somewhat of a shock, especially as DH flew out of bed at such a speed (to answer his phone), I thought he was going to be ill (I don't normally sleep heavily, but I had gone to bed very late)! We are hundreds of miles away from our home... needless to say without any of our financial 'requirements' to use internet or otherwise banking, thus to try and put money into her account (and it being a Sunday)... nigh impossible.  Why is it that banks do not have a contact number to phone for genuine emergencies?  The Indian call centre does not understand that we do not need to carry our passports within our own country - the UK call centre for DD's bank could not help as they would not accept debit card payment. GRRRRRRR!!!!!!

A few years back, we were in Oban and a similar thing happened... DD phoned at 2.00 am to say her car had been stolen and what should she do as she was miles from home, it was freezing cold (it was late October) and they would not let her back into the club she had been at to ask for help from her so called friends. We arranged for someone to pick her up and take her to our house at that point, but.... where is the common sense that we hope we have imbued into our children?

Having said that, we are having a slightly damp, but very pleasant holiday.  (The weather is being influenced, I think, by the after-effects of Hurricane Irene travelling across the Atlantic, so is rather up and down this week).  However, it is beautiful in the Lakes and so green.  We love it here and there is so much to see and do, however many times we come.  My diet has gone to pot, but I am trying to reel in my greed!  The food up here is so much tastier than at home!  At least it seems that way, but there are so many places to eat honest home grown or produced food here, that it is difficult to make the 'sensible choice'.  I had baked potato with crayfish and courgette and white onion soup (sounds gross but actually was tastier than I expected.  DH's gammon steak (at an inch thick and very succulent), with double fried chips, two eggs and salad was just amazing.  His pub-produced real ale was just delicious (I don't ever have a beer, but it was just smooth and had so many overtones that had I been a beer drinker, it would have been the one I chose). 

After coffee and NO desert, we left to continue our perambulations and eventually ended up at Ullswater and the Brackenrigg Inn (a frequent and favourite stop), for more coffee (and a desperately needed loo stop... LOL).  Two pots of coffee later, a half hour drive back and a visit to Morrisons for milk (and another loo stop) we have got back to discover DD has been invited, along with her team mates (she is in NY for an International sports event) to dinner with a fire crew who were involved with 9:11 and the Twin Towers.  This has obviously made her forget her woes.  Thank goodness something positive has come out of her trip... the first part of the games was cancelled due to Hurricane Irene and they lost at the semi finals to a team they had already beaten! Not sure how that happened but....!  Fingers x for her last few days out there... and for a relaxed end to both our holidays!