6 posts tagged “cumbria”

What are you most looking forward to this weekend?

Plenty of fresh Cumbrian air and new perspectives

wind sweeps through forest
crocus petals rip and tear - 
such transient beauty

The hall is piled with bags and boxes. Am I moving permanently? You'd think so. No, it's clothing (for all weathers from sun to the snow that is forecast for this weekend), walking boots and wellies, bedding, human food, bird food, camera, soon to be followed by 'puter - all for a week at the lodge. I'm driving across to Cumbria this afternoon, to be joined tomorrow evening by my daughter and these gorgeous granddaughters (without guinea pigs, I assume)

Rowan Lodge 2

The girls cuddling their guinea pigs

Even if your house is flooded or burnt to the ground, whatever the danger that threatens it, let it concern only the house. If there's a flood, don't let it flood your mind. If there's a fire, don't let it burn your heart, let it be merely the house, that which is external to you, that is flooded and burned. Allow the mind to let go of its attachments.

Update : This is not just theoretical. Our little lodge in Cumbria has pipes that burst about 10 days ago. We arrived home after our trip south for Christmas to the news of flooding on our answerphone. So we are dealing with insurance etc etc at 100 mile distance. A great opportunity to practice this letting go :)

We drove across the country to our lodge in Cumbria this evening. Minus 3 Centigrade as we came along the banks of Ullswater! The grass and decking here are sparkling in the moonlight. The badgers' bowl is frozen to the deck. I've put out triple rounds of peanut butter sandwiches and hope they'll realise that we are here, hence.supper is waiting. Tomorrow we'll fill the bird feeders and will need a run to Ambleside for more seed. They've already finished what we thought would last the winter. Word must have got around that this is the place to dine. I haven't seen the deer and think they may be about in the summer before I'm up. Now that the trees are bare and the mornings darker I'm hoping to get a glimpse.

Now we are fed and watered, the lodge has warmed up, winter duvets have been piled on the beds and I'm snuggled under the covers with ginger tea, enjoying the novelty of being able to post with this little BlackBerry. Now - time for some reading.........
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Packing again after the washing, ironing and email turnaround - I'm off to Cumbria soon. Not to stay in the lodge, as Dharmavidya and Prasada are there for the week (I'll spend tomorrow with them) but to stay with my sister Kathy and brother-in-law Dougal at Caudale Beck. I'll be seeing my sister Janet and my Mum, too, as they are staying nearby. Taking the camera, of course.

Taking waterproofs and wellies, too, of course - they might be needed in Cumbria at any time of year but how much more so at the moment, with the extreme weather the UK has been experiencing recently, with more on its way. Hoping my Amida Sheffield buddies aren't awash.