Lakes I

Since we've been back more than 10 days already, I feel no obligation to offer any sort of historical narrative of our time in the Lake district. In fact, starting at with the last place we visited seems somehow appropriate, especially because we visited it again last Saturday. Partly we did so because it was the perfect length walk for the kids, complete with a waterfall that was well worth the short hike. Partly we chose to spend our Saturday going to and fro because I left a few (!) things behind....like the headphones for my iPhone.

The photo on the left says everything about what Iain enjoyed most about the Lakes: plenty of muddy puddles for splashing, and sticky, gooey mud to stomp in. He also discovered how difficult it can be to lift a half-submerged boot out of thick English mud. Iain's other noteworthy puddle experience was even more dramatic, occuring as it did on a chilly morning on a windswept hill, in the middle of a stone circle. The views were incredible--if the stone circle itself wasn't interesting enough--but all he wanted to do was to run through what can only be described as a pond-full of rainwater. Of course he fell over, and made another important discovery: deep puddles on windy hills are cold. I would like to see Castlerigg one day without all the fuss.

Anna's favorite aspect of the trip was the abundance of dogs. Honestly, I think she thought we went out every day in search of friendly dogs for her to shower with affection. The up side of dogs' magnetic force was that Anna 'introduced' us to loads of people. I personally preferred the people to the dogs (mostly), and enjoyed having conversations with other adults without the worry about where Anna was. As long as there was a dog present, I knew where to find her. She did some great walking, too, for a girl whose idea of a long walk is from the kitchen to the TV.