Too Much Summer.

      Decided to make a spur-of-the-moment early evening walk in the Langdale Valley, it is after all summer, that is apart from all the snow and ice. Made the walk with my good friend Simon, he invited me, I had to drive, we took his dogs; "they don't chase sheep!" We parked in Elterwater and took the track over to Little Langdale, then down to "Slater's" Bridge, honestly, I thought they were all called Slater's Bridge, the few still in existence that is. Another dull as ditchwater evening, can't someone have a quiet word and do something about a temporary break in the clouds? It is getting rather close to mid-summer's day, as so many people seem to be gleefully telling me. Simon pointed out part of the tarn known as Rob's Pond, after a shire horse which had stumbled into the water and drowned some years earlier. Simon was very happy to burden me with an assortment of episodes relating to his childhood in this area. We continued round the tarn and up to the Wrynose, Blea Tarn junction, Simon kept rambling about taking photographs of a particular tree, whilst the dogs were chasing rabbits (not sheep) all I could think about was farmers and shotguns!
      We made our return by a track with which I'm not familiar, although Simon knew all about it, on the lower slopes of Lingmoor Fell. This eventually brought us to the rear of The Bield, with which Simon has a much heralded, though dubious connection. Something along the lines of a great aunt twice removed on his mother's side, no matter, by this association he'd spent a great deal of his childhood there and is convinced that he should now be living there regardless of all others. Of course we had to spend far too long here, whilst my friend unburdened himself and tears were shed, not mine or the dogs, might I add.
      I was delighted to find an easy passage back to Elterwater, then drove Simon home to fight with his dogs, whilst I went off to find a hot bath and a warm bed.