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Surprisingly it has been eighteen months since we last walked the delightful fell of Binsey

and it was even longer since Ian's footsteps graced the summit.

He's up in Cumbria at present and is over for a walk . . . time to make a well deserved return visit to this lovely moorland fell.

Morning glory . . . rain dripping from the bedroom windows and the top of Mellbreak is hardly visible through the mist.

It was still raining as Ian arrived in Loweswater, but he said it was getting brighter as he left his flat in Seascale out on the west coast.

Let's hope the better weather will stretch across to here . . . and hopefully on across the edge of the high fells at least.

Time for a coffee and a short wait . . . is that a patch of bright sky up there ?

- - - o o o - - - -

Our wishes have come true as the bad weather has retreated to the north east.

The road at Binsey Cottage where we parked was wet, but the weather has changed and we have a dry walk in prospect.

Ian at the start of the walk up Binsey.

This outer fell, surprisingly the most northern of the Wainwright tops, is small in stature but big on views . . . normally !

At 12.30 when we started the walk the weather was yet to clear the high fells.

The very light breeze meant that the mist was hanging in the valleys, with nothing to blow it away.

The rain clouds were heading north east and the sunlight was now bright enough to lighten the grass,

highlighting the dark grey clouds as they moved away.

We move on up the path and look back at a clearing view of the Skiddaw fells.

The small cloud over the summit of Skiddaw shines brightly as a result of a widening patch of sunlight.

Misty Barf and Lords Seat seen across Bassenthwaite Lake.

Dash Falls are full of water, with the ridge of Blencathra behind.

Guess the name of this small fell next to Over Water . . .

It shares the name of Latrigg with its more famous, distant neighbour that overlooks Keswick.

Behind this Latrigg are Longlands, Lowthwaite, Little Sca and Great Sca Fell . . . with Meal Fell just making it into the photo on the extreme right.

Flatter now and it's Ann that has been hanging back taking photos this time.

" Who me ? "

A broader picture from the rain clouds on the left to the sunshine on the right.

The colour contrast in the improving weather was quite stark.

A departing rain cloud over the town of Wigton, the white square being the polymer factory

which produces plastic film for labels, graphics and the material that forms the heart of the new British plastic banknotes.

The last few yards to the top . . . there were few other on the fell today,

but there was a small group just leaving as we reached the top.

Looks like we are all having a seance !   Will the trig point move under our influence ?

Ann claims the summit as the dogs join her next to the large summit shelters.

The three of us set off on a slightly circular tour of the summit area,

including a visit to the smaller rock cairn part way over towards West Crag.

From the cairn we walked cross-country to the western slopes of the fell, crossing a quad bike track on the way.

The views are sunnier now but the fells still retain their rather misty appearance.

Heading down, we pick up that quad bike track and use it to guide us back towards the car.

Certainly warm enough now for short sleeves and no jackets.

Dylan claims the small rock boulder . . .

. . . and with very little encouragement they both jump up onto the next, slightly larger, split boulder.

Now to get them to look this way !

Smile please . . . that's a wrap.

- - - o o o - - -

Back home for a spot of tea then Ian heads back to Seascale as we get ready to go out again.

This was the Whinlatter view of the early evening sunlight on the Skiddaw fells as we drove over to the Theatre by the Lake.

We had tickets to the Banff Ocean Film Festival recently swapped with Steve and Eileen M who sadly couldn't make the event.

Get well soon Eileen . . . hope you are more mobile and on the way to a full recovery by the time you read this.