Clear skies and good visibility from Scale Hill as Dylan looks north along the length of the Lorton Valley.

To our right is Lanthwaite Green and the slopes of Grasmoor.

To the left the ridge of Low Fell with the old Scale Hill Hotel roof line below us.

Ahead is the central part of the hamlet of Loweswater.

I hesitate to call it a village despite having a church and pub as the houses are all spread out

rather than gathered particularly around the centre.

Looking more or less south over Crummock Water to the High Stile Ridge.

Mellbreak is the fell to the right, with the brighter grass of "The Peel" pushing out into the lake.

- - - o o o - - -

On this walk I walked down into the woods and was pleased to see the wide variety of fungi growing there.

( Please don't expect me to name them all . . . but I will add suitable names if submitted or subsequently discovered .)

A grey-topped fungi, about three or four inches across, with white gills underneath the cap.

It maybe the charcoal burner but please this is by no way an identification that gives you the right to eat it . . . Helmut

These two had a more brown cap and had been presumably picked and cast aside by the winds and rain.

Not all fungi were white and easy to spot . . . this black variety could almost go unnoticed.

Beautiful classic mushrooms growing on what was probably an old beech log.

More growing further along the same log . . . with a second variety living amidst them.

This dramatic round bracket-type fungus was growing on an old tree stump.

Pink tinges to this round, more classic shaped fungi.

A puff-ball in between some evergreen branches.	A stunning, almost sponge-like clump of fungi at a tree base.

 

The "stunning, almost sponge-like clump of fungi at a tree base" seems to be Cauliflower Fungus,

eadable, but once more only if identified with certainty . . . Helmut

The phone didn't cope with depth of focus in poor light with this brown fungus

but there's a clearer one hiding towards the top of the photo.

In an open clearing of disturbed gravel there was a profusion of mushrooms

that had the appearance almost of broken, papery wasp nests.

Several were growing next to the track to the boathouse, their size and white spots increasing with their age.

 - - - o o o - - -

Another day . . .

I join Hilton and Vanessa on a walk down to the lake.

We crossed the fields towards Muncaster House . . .

. . . where this patch of fungi was arresting, growing as it was in the open air.

The fungus has obviously entered the structure of this old Ash stump and spread out through the root system.

The same stump today, three weeks later . . . a big change in the fungi surrounding the tree.

Two have survived, they must be a different variety.

Arm in arm down to moody Crummock.

Heading round The Peel until we reach the fallen pines.

Hilton, Dylan and Vanessa . . . guess who's got cold knees despite the increasing sunshine ?

Down on the lake-side of the concrete wall . . . in danger of flooding !	Back through Lanthwaite Woods and more tree fungus.