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April 24th was a glorious day from start to finish . . . and I saw most of it !

The bright sunshine and the dawn chorus woke me early and I let the dogs out into the garden at 7am,

catching a few early pictures at the start of the day.

There was still not a cloud in the sky at half eight-ish when I climbed of bed a second time to start the day properly.

Early morning, looking up the valley with that clear and fresh view of new day.

The scene westward, towards the phone box includes the church and the Kirkstile.

The view over the paddock.

For us this week the early sun is rising over Gasgale and it is shining directly across the valley, casting long shadows over the paddock.

During the morning I spend time in the garden with camera, an axe, a chainsaw and finally a spade.

After chopping logs I clear my way through the old log pile and the big cross-cut of timber is once again accessible.

I've cleared those two wooden beams from a flower bed and suddenly my vague plans from last year come to fruition . . .

A touch of chainsaw magic and a few minutes of spade work and I've managed to plant two new trees,

part of the on-going, ever changing Loweswatercam Sculpture Park. 

Thanks to Trevor and Gill of Borrowdale who gave me the cross-cut wood an embarrassingly long 51 weeks ago.

What could be better than a wild swim in April ?

Perhaps a wild swim in April . . . with warmer water and a really soft, warm towel afterwards !

Nearly half eight in the evening the sun was setting and produced a glorious rich yellow glow over the valley.

With dawn in the valley before seven and dusk at half past eight, both photographs span the same day.

- - - o o o - - -

But the night is yet young and we have one more surprise and delight . . . .

Each evening I put out bird and hedgehog food . . .	. . . and just before midnight we were rewarded with a visit.

Tonight, as on recent nights, there were two hedgehogs in the garden.

One quickly moved for the protection of the hedge and the other rolled up and pretended he couldn't be seen !

- - - o o o - - -

	But what about some walk photos ?   Well next day it was sunny again (it's getting a habit) and after lunch, Ann and I did a two mile circuit of the valley including a visit to the lake.   These were just seven of the new flowers on the roadside verges as we walked to Scale Hill Bridge. - - - o o o - - -
"Jack o' the hedge" or Hedge Garlic

Greater Stitchwort	Bluebells

Welsh Poppies	Young Foxglove

Cow Parsley	not forgetting the humble Dandelion

We crossed the bridge, through the closed car park and take the riverside path towards the lake.

The woodland bluebells, always slightly sparse in this part of the wood, are nevertheless making an appearance.

Dougal wants to play with the stick . . .	I throw it away but it always comes back like a boomerang.

Low water in the River Cocker.

A fallen tree reminds me of a mathematical story I was told at school . . .

There was once an Indian chief who had three wives. For the first he had purchased a hippopotamus hide on which she could sleep, but for his second an third he could only afford ordinary hides.  As time went on his first wife bore him triplets, his second twins and his third a single child. He stopped enlarging his family then as at that point everything was in balance . . . because  . . . " the squaw on the hippopotamus is equal to the sum of the squaws on the other two hides. " A quick pause for applause . . . !

Low water in the river is logically matched with low water in the lake.

- - - o o o - - - The weirs are not overflowing today and haven't been for a while but the water is still escaping over the fish ladder.     The basic river flow is maintained by the two sluices at the base of the main gantries. They are set to allow a minimum amount of water through into the river at all times.   The rest either escapes over the top of the weir or is drawn out by a pipeline from the Pump House for the local drinking water supply.   - - - o o o - - -

This area is normally a foot or more underwater.	Across the shingle bank to the Boathouse and Grasmoor.

Ann stops briefly as we approach the turn between the bridge and the Pump House.

With the high pressure system moving away slightly we're getting more southerly winds

which is introducing more of a long distance haze.

The heat has gone out of the sun and we head for home up through the 'stone' field.

Dougal is once again in and out of the river and was thankfully a reasonable distance away for this photo.

The site of the old 'plank' bridge as one valley resident called it.

The old bridge supports are 100 yards or so downstream from the Kirkstile, close to where Beckhouse Farm used to stand.

The origins are unclear, it may have had something to do with local mining, but after it collapsed a few planks remained or were replaced

hence the colloquial name for the location.

Nearly home . . . so time for a colloquial "cup of char" before we settle in to make supper and light the fire.

- - - o o o - - -

Also time to get back and answer a few emails from you all . . .