Jeremiah Watt

JUST A QUICK VISUAL ON TOTAL ROAD WIDTH

A CHOICE OF ROADS, BOTH NARROW, BOTH TO THE SAME PLACE

Not much in the world could be more beautiful than the Lake District, I had heard it said before. I had read it as a point of exclamation before when talking to folks whom had visited the UK, and now we are going to experience this beauty for ourselves. We got a little earlier start on the day, and hit the road by 8am, and headed out on the very narrow B rated roads, which is an English definition for a car that is being driven on that sort of road and its not long till it BEE without mirrors. Wow, they make these little fellas very narrow, and when you meet a Lorry( Large truck), then you really feel how narrow the roads are.

THE BEAUTY OF THE LAKE DISTRICT IS SHROUDED IN FOG AT TIMES

WHEN CLOUDS PART THE MASTERFUL WORK OF OUR CREATOR CAN SHINE THROUGH

We blazed on down the road at about 35 miles per hour, which is exactly what we had been told but just could not believe it……..once again till we experienced it. It’s a lot like what I try to get through Darrens closed mind on food, and Kim you still have a ton of work to do to that extent. Every bend has a quaint sceneic cottage, every field is surrounded by a stacked rock fence and every hillside is covered in emerald green and dots of white sheep. We pull our car off the road in Kensing and find a little coffee and some pasties, and on this day I tried a Pork Tart with a Sweet Apple Glaze……Poochy Maggie now we are talking good vittles here folks make ya leave the ol KC at home.

JUST ANOTHER VERY INVITING SMALL TOWN ALONG OUR ROUTE TODAY

THAT COOL LOOKING TRUCK USED TO DELIVER ALL THOSE PENCILS

THIS IS SOME OF THE ART DONE USING PEN NIBS MADE OF DIFFERENT METALS

ART DONE WITH PENCILS OF DIFFERENT COLORS

It’s a rainy day, with heavy rain laden clouds loitering about the high peaks like teenagers with skateboards in the city park, high peaks abound in the Lake District making for fast flowing streams and lakes abound. The hill tops are covered in dense Gorse which is like a springy hedge form of brush with spikes on it, the gorse gives way to groves of Pine and Fir along with Spruce and some Balsam, all of which gives way to a verdant green carpet of grass in the lowlands and any slope without trees on it

ONE OF VERY FEW PIECES OF BARB WIRE FENCE THAT WE HAD SEEN

THOSE MILES OF ROCK WEALLS ARE SO INVITING TO THE CAMERA

ROCK HOUSES, ROCK WALLS, ROCK BARNS................JUST GORGEOUS

Almost every hillside has some logging going on, with most wood being cut in 6 foot lengths, and a few being cut longer if it appeared it could be large enough to be cut in a saw mill. Farmers dot the streets of local towns and out on the road or in the fields, replete with Tweed jackets, Wellies and ribbed pants. Heavy hands, and a stooped gate form the years of toil in the rich soil of this valley, and walking the demandingly steep hillsides after their sheep. We stop in a few of the small towns to walk, but even in this rain it is hard to find a place to park the car and walk the streets. We have plenty of trouble finding a place to park the car when driving, but these English just stop in their lane and get out and take the picture…………..I still lack the intestinal fortitude and Insurance Coverage to try such a thing.

YOU JUST CANT GROW TIRED OF THESE ROCK HOUSES, MANY OF THEM BUILT IN 15 AND 16 HUNDREDS

A LITTLE SCARLET AMONGST THE GREEN SNEAKS OUT LOOKING OVER DORN LAKES

THE BEAUTY IS 360 DEGREES IN THE LAKE DISTRICT.

WINDING ROADS AND SMALL VILLAGES MAKE UP OUR DAYS ITINERARY

We stop for a break and take in the Kendall, and take in the Cumberland Pencil Company Museum. This is the oldest Pencil manufacturer in the world. NO, there are none as old in Texas………None. It was a very interesting Museum, with plenty of 1st and 2nd World War information, since the Pencil Company supplied many special feature pencils for the war. Then there was the art on the walls done with the pencils, be they color or lead type pencils. Lastly there were the artistic items done using colored pen knibs and creating complex designs by mixing brass and blue steel knibs. Very Cool indeed.

HUGE HILLSIDES MAKE UP THE BACKDROP TO SMALL FARMS AND VILLAGES

HEY CORKY, HERE IS THE GROMMIT CHEESE HAULER.................I ATE SOME FOR YOU.

A PATCH WORK OF CROPS AND GRAZING FIELDS, EACH SURROUNDED BY A ROCK WALL......................SOMEONE PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO CREATING A FARM.

EVEN THE MUSCOVIE DUCKS CAME OUT ON THE ROAD TO WATCH THE TOURISTS AS THEY PASSED THROUGH THE SMALL TOWNS, COMMON TO SEE COWS, SHEEP AND GOATS ON THE ROAD OR RIGHT BESIDE IT

But off we go till we hit the James Harriet country in the Yorkshire Dales, and while driving I see the sign for Wensleydale…………screeeeeech go the brakes, and the smoke rolls by the car windows as we turn the key off. By george, I am thinking of my friend Corky, and how much he likes that movie with Wallace and Grommit and their insatiable thirst for Wensleydale Cheese…………….., I am just crackers about that cheese Grommit. We had the chance to see how the cheese was made, we had a chance to sample all the types that they make, and resample…………wander and then resample. This Company also makes plenty of cheeses that are filled with such things as Ginger, Lemon Peel, Currants etc. We took a break and had Tea and proper Scones with Sultana’s and fresh made butter from non paturized butter………….this alone would make most Americans slap their forehead and fall over backwards in disgust or fear that by this hygene faux paux alone would cause the dreaded PLAGUE may re-awaken. The tea was a real nice break, as in most cases except when you are at an upscale bakery or large city most often Coffee will be of the instant nature. We had a Sultana Cake to sample, and also a Selkirk bannock to sample, so all in all JW needs to ride across USA once again to get rid of the holiday I consumed.

WATER RUSHES OVER THE LAYERED ROCK FORMATION IN THIS AREA OF THE LAKE DISTRICTS, ON OCCASSION IT ALSO RAN OVER BRIDGES AND WITHIN DOORWAYS TOO.

It would be hard for me to decide which area I like the most, but since the Yorkies are a lot less inhabited, and much more open………being cowboy at heart would likely send me to the later.

THE SUN FINALLY BREAKS THRU CAUSING AN OUTBURST OF COLOR

We had a guest house for the evening, it was a nice break, supper was pretty simple fair since nobody was real hungry. Kids and Mom played some cards for money, Darren had never played poker before ………………so now Pine has all his money. Just kidding, we made him give some of it back. I worked on the blog, but gott’a confess, it is getting harder to stay excited with it since the down load process is so labourious, and the connection is at best slow to medium.

A VERY COOL LITTLE "ANGLIA" THAT IS FAITHFULLY RESTORED AND DRIVEN DAILY

Good night and GOD bless

A SOPURCE FOR ROCK IS NEVER VERY FAR AWAY IT SEEMS.