Seat Sandal...Dollywaggon Pike and Nethermost Pike

Yesterday's walk -Well while the boys are away I took the opportunity ...and the weather, to do another three Wainwrights with Rocky. Initially I had planned to be good and do chores at home ...that didn't work - correct decision! Setting off later than I'd have liked we scraffled a last parking place on Dunmail Raise at 10ish. Straight up the side of Seat Sandal was hard work in the heat and it was straight up! The views were fantastic though from this often forgotten peak - right across to Gable and Bowfell as well as across to Fairfield. Then we followed the wall down towards the top of Raise Beck. Rather than the longer route up Dollywaggon Pike, from Grisedale tarn,  I decided to go straight up the continuing wall ....glutton for punishment! Then a chance to stretch the legs as we went onto Nethermost Pike. I'd have loved to have gone onto Helvellyn, but there was really no need and didn't want to let the dog overheat, so we came back down via Grisedale tarn and then Raise Beck making a kind of figure of 8 walk. Superb conditions! So Rocky has now done 128 Wainwrights.

Seat Sandal with Great Gable in the background, Dollywaggon and Nethermost Pike summits.

From Seat Sandal, on the way up, looking across Raise Beck to Thirlmere.

Over Grisedale tarn to Ullswater.

From Dollywaggon towards Nethermost Pike and Helvellyn.

Striding Edge looked busy! 

The descent - looking back at the wall up Dollywaggon Pike; Raise Beck and looking down to Dunmail Raise. 

Ardnave towards Sanaig and the Penninsula

Tom and Steve are now safely ensconced on Islay, ready to start Tom's fieldwork for his dissertation ' Using the shape and structure of fossilised marine algae to infer what the environment was like 650 million years ago' click for more information  The first day was spent settling in though and a spectacular walk from Ardnave farm towards Sanaig and back around the peninsula, with fantastic birds and flora especially. 

Ardnave 

Top: golden eagle, bottom: a pair of hen harriers.

Hare and bog asphodel with a heath-spotted orchid.

Flora: bog asphodel, stone-crop, heath spotted orchid, lousewort, bog pimpernel, butterwort,
long-leaved sundew and bog bean.

Top: heath spotted orchid, bottom: early marsh orchid. 

First attempts at pottery!

I'm really lucky that we have a talented potter who runs a local art group, these are my first attempts and they actually look like pots!

A bowl inspired by fetid iris.

A different style of bowl - ammonite inspired.

My wave and pebble bowl...with more pics below...

North Cumbria roadside verges

The verges are at their best now - these photos were all taken last night on the daily dog walk from the house....

There are lots of painted ladies around, large skippers are just appearing and plenty of ringlets and meadow browns. 

Honey suckle sprawls along the hedges
 -  then there's bush vetch;meadow vetchling; crosswort; umbellifer sp; red clover
and lots of tangles of tufted vetch. 

Common-spotted orchids; dog-rose; water avens; dog daisies; herb robert; hawkbot sp and yellow rattle.

Honey suckle - a very colourful one; great burnet; hedge woundwort;
 willowher; meadowsweet; foxgloves; white clover, buttercup and stitchwort.

Foxglove felt

Inspired by the foxgloves on last night's dog walk - here are the first couple of stages in my next project - a machine embroidered and hand stitched piece of felt.

Prior to wet felting with partially felted pieces added. 

The dried piece after felting. 

Mussel bowl - fused glass

Another session at RD Glass. This time I decided to go for an ambitious mussel inspired bowl incorporating wire and copper foil. We were pushing the limits with the air bubbles - but the bowl was intact after firing - lovely colours and textures that I'd like to develop.

The bowl ...

Textural details ...

Buttermere - June visit

Well June has been and gone! A busy month and it was on the last day that I managed to walk around the lake to continue my once a month walk...not the best of days, but it did stay dry until a slight waft of drizzle just as we got back to the car.

The classic lonely tree - in amongst grass.

Lecidia lithophila  is a fairly common upland lichen able to extract iron from rock, which results in an attractive stone mosaic. 

Brimstone Moth 

A poor photograph ...a distance away and it was a touch windy...of a family of goosander.