26th August, 2015....August birthday blog!

Parkas on for a walk today....and it's AUGUST!! Rather blustery and damp at Furness Abbey this morning.....

 

...but some blue sky breaking through!

 

 

What's not to like about a cold, windy August day...as long as you've got your sun glasses on and a cup of tea....

 

 

 

...and a bit of breakfast at Abbey Mill! So...three birthdays this week....Baby DD, Frankie and today is my sisters birthday! That's us in my last junior school photo...it was easier to dress your kids the same when there was as many as us (although not my brothers obviously!)...and Frankie finally is THIRTEEN, and has altered his body language accordingly....

 

 

...from this.....

 

 

...to this!!!

 

 

The birthday has made us get out old photos though...some lovely christening ones...

 

 

 

 

...with his godfather....

 

 

...and his in loco parentis father if we're ever out of town!!

 

 

Some scarily torrential rain earlier this week...I guess our summer is coming to an end...there are certainly a lot of fruits out and ripening down here at Furness Abbey...sloes ALREADY....

 

 

..bushes full of blackberries...

 

 

 

.....early elderberries , and I'm not sure what these others are!!

 

 

Looking rather nice and 'autumnal' along the Roose walkway actually!

 

 

 

(which is just as well because I have put my Autumn classroom display up already!)

 

 

The beck is running quite high compared to this time last year, and if you look at national weather forecasts, the Jetstream moves northwards just in time for us teachers' favourite thing.... an Indian Summer!!!! Don't forget to support this event!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12th August, 2015...Countryside matters....!

A beautiful spell of weather over the past few days....we have been waiting for ages to have an early summers morning walk at Furness Abbey, and we finally made it!

 

 

 

That was the sky at 9am this morning....

 

 

...so clear that the Lake District mountains can be seen....

 

 

...and Frank's finally got his shorts on! I'm feeling quite short standing next to him at the moment!

 

 

Had a quiet cup of tea at Abbey Mill café....

 

 

 

 

...and a good walk! Furness Abbey is an exceptional place.....

 

 

....and if you know us, you'll know we love our countryside walks, but for many folk, this is their working environment, and at the moment it is becoming increasingly difficult for people who make their money from the rural landscape to scrape a living. I fully support the dairy farmers in their quest to get a reasonable price for the milk they produce and the fleeces they take from their sheep flocks. I was shocked to listen to meat farmers talking the other day about each low grade sheep fleece only being worth 49p...not even enough to hire a shearer!

 

 

 

We headed to the Coast Road after our walk today, and stopped to watch some farmers in action...not on holiday like we were but grafting to scrape a living, only to have their produce devalued by large national corporations like TESCO. It is appalling that a litre of bottled water or fizzy pop costs more than a litre of milk. Don't get me on the 'fizzy pop' debate....we didn't have access to even a bottle of Coke when I was little....it was milk or water or orange cordial at parties and that was it...and we were much healthier because of it! I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a country with no farms or farming industry. I agree with cheap food production but not with the profits these massive supermarket chains make because of it. Rant over!!

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful on the Coast Road today though!

 

 

 

 

 

I can't let a blog go by without mentioning Series 2 of 'True Detective'...I think it's been outstanding, so many subtleties that ordinary folk have given up on it (my daughter will go mad at me now for saying that!).....'a Mexican stand-off with ACTUAL Mexicans'...that has to be of my favourite one liners of all time, from Vince Vaughan. The finale was stunningly clever and we were left just sitting on the sofa, not knowing what to do next!!! New hero.....Colin Farrell!! I'm sure he wasn't acting!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9th August, 2015...Soaking wet Summer...!!

As this was the first chance we've had for ten days  to grab a walk at Furness Abbey, we set off despite the pouring rain...we are well used to it by now, having had four soaking wet days in Windermere earlier in the week! To be fair, Friday and Saturday were sunny and warm (ish) but more Autumn sunshine than baking hot summer!

Lovely and green....but soaking wet down here! So we opted for a roaring fire and a spot of brunch in Abbey Mill, until the rain eased a bit!

Rain macs came out up at Windermere earlier in the week too.....

...okay....not every day.....

...and there was an incredible view from our cottage window! Blackwell House remains our favourite haunt in the Lakes though...I'd love to own it and live there!!

Oh well...we can pretend!

The Steve Hillman wedding machine is in full swing at the moment....five weddings on the memory cards waiting to be worked on and two more for next weekend. His website and blog have hit over 100,000 views...worth a look at https://www.stevehillmanphotography.co.uk/

Here's one from his latest Abbey House wedding....he really wants to shoot a wedding at the Belsfield in Bowness...I might even have to go and help if he does...along with our very resourceful helper Gracie, who will be working along side him again at this October's wedding fair at Abbey House.

I did spend a few very pleasant hours yesterday talking weddings with a  good friend of mine...she's on the blog in various places and it is her own wedding in April, 2017, so there will be plenty of wedding talk over the next eighteen months.....especially since the Steve Hillman camera will be shooting it!

Actually, as I'm sitting here writing this, some blue sky is appearing, so better get my trainers back on and make the most of it!