May - found a few copies this week of 2025 if you want one

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The Village Hall organised a VE Day +80 Celebration on Bank Holiday Monday. In traditional style the village set to, "put the flags out", dressed the Hall, dressed themselves, got cooking and turned up on the Monday lunchtime for a village get-together to celebrate the day, a day that included singing and dancing and a fly-past.

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Loes's daughter's partner Peter has a big-0 birthday and they invited us to join them on a weekend of celebration in Scotland. Danielle had booked two adjacent chalets on the outskirts of St Andrews, famous as the home of Scottish and for that matter, world golf. This weekend he has a chance for that dream to come true.

There comes a time in everyone's life that things don't work so well, get a little moth-eaten and fail to do what they used to do, the same applies to sheds ! Sadness follows the demise but then new beginnings bring the chance of a whole new life, a fresh start, a clean slate, but first you have to clear a shed of all its rubbish and promise to throw things away !

Loes had an appointment in Otley so we drove over to Harewood for the weekend and took the chance to see friends and walk somewhere different.The first walk I did was a short but interesting one along the high ground that overlooks the Wharf Valley.The Sun was high but the bright weather held a passing shower, hidden amongst the high cloud.

Little did we know that the sunny, dry weather of the end of March would be as settled as it turned out to be. We ventured over to Borrowdale to do a local round that I had not done before . . . Grange to the Chinese Bridge at Lodore and back via Manesty. This was a great little walk yet provides some classic views and iconic places.

The spring weather is beautiful this year and with an offer of a lift to the far end of Loweswater, I had the chance of an extended linear walk through the woods to home. No particular time limit so I'll see where my feet take me. I've had an early lunch at home so no particular rush to get back.

The fine weather continues but most of us are on light duties, Dougal included, so it a walk with a difference , to the seaside. The Tourist Board always want folk to spread out and enjoy all aspects of Cumbria, and after today you can tell why. We only just scratch the surface of what Maryport had to offer.

A drive to Keswick found us returning via Honister, where I stopped for a brief walk for Dougal and to appreciate the fine weather. The following day Loes and I walked locally and the fine weather continued and the camera just couldn't stay in the pocket. Two local walks while we were busy doing other things.

On-going felling of diseased larch trees has left a hole in Holme Woods where the Pheasant's Eye used to be. In order to maintain the unique artistic feature of the woodland, the area needs replanting with contrasting colour, so John, Rosamund and Mark of the National Trust have co-ordinated another Loweswater community planting day,

I'm expecting family to stay for the next few days, my youngest daughter Jenna and her partner Matt, plus three grandchildren, my eldest in his thirties (who's here with his wife) and my two youngest who are two and just under one year old. The forecast is for sunny weather so some good local walks are in prospect.

During the last few weeks there has been some great weather, nicely cold and clear. The wintery weather has left snow on the high fells and skiing has apparently been good at the ski tow on Helvellyn's eastern slopes. Over here we have at last got some reasonable weather to enable me to work and walk in the sunshine.

"Start at Scawgill / Spout Force car park on the western side of the pass and then head east up forest tracks before turning south after passing Tarbarrel Moss and heading out onto the open fell side. While it's not very long, the ascents are slightly more challenging than I had perhaps first thought, so I guess it is actually closer to a 'B+' than a B."

February has been a busy month for us here in this quiet backwater of The Lakes. I've been so busy that walks have been a bit local and repetitive so new photos have been few. However, we've had several interesting walks, with friends and on my own, for which I offer the following photos.

The great thing about The Mockerkin Mob at present is that it gets me out of the house, or should I say out of the cottage, when I'm far too busy doing other, less important things. Better weather and an easier walk plan this day has also encouraged more Mob members to join in this outing compared to the last.

I was in Keswick as the car needed a service. It was a beautifully sunny, winter's morning with the last of the overnight frost covering the grass in Hope Park. A walk round for an hour or so would pass the time nicely while the garage did the work. Dougal would appreciate a walk too, so rather than leave him at home, I opted for a stroll out to the lake.

The Mockerkin Mob, our local walking group is rather depleted at present and Storm Eowyn on Friday left several homes in the valley, including mine, without power. Some weren't yet re-connected, so as a consequence several potential walkers sent their apologies for this "A" walk today. As a result it was a select band of two and a trusty dog that set out for today's winter walk around the Whinlatter Fells.

At one time, Cumbria was part of Scotland, but at other times, part of Scotland were English, so the border has moved over the years. This night it edged south for a few hours as Loweswater Village Hall seemed to be invaded by men in kilts and ladies sporting tartan sashes.It's Burns Night and the Loweswater 77 Club is in celebratory mood.

After Clitheroe, Cathy and Mark continued north and joined me here in Loweswater for a few days. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, as it had all across the country, but we still had chance to get out for a low level walk and a trip to Cogra Moss was one they hadn't done since the new path had been completed.

An invite for Loes and I to travel down to Wiswell near Clitheroe in Lancashire today. The plan was to walk with my daughter and her friends, stay overnight ,and then travel back to Cumbria. The first part went to plan except that Loes's knee was playing up and thought she travelled down to Wiswell, in the end she wasn't able to join us on the walk.

Another day of blue skies and sunshine, below zero temperatures and plenty of snow on the fells. The valley and lowland roads were clear but ice was a problem after the wet winter. Newlands and Honister Passes were closed but we thought we'd combine a trip to see friends in Buttermere with a drive up the valley as far as we could safely get.

The weather is beautiful and the next best thing to a walk in the snow is a drive in snowy scenery.We head out, ostensibly to call into the shops in Keswick, but end up extending the drive and shopping a different day.In the sunshine and with a good covering of snow the high fells are looking superb.

The snow was beckoning, so after a morning of shopping and other domestic duties I had the chance to get out for a walk. Low Fell, like all the Cumbrian Fells, had an extra layer of snow fall on them last night and the little snow down here at valley level belied what there was much higher up. I would walk to The Lonesome Pine and then take it from there.

With additional contributions from many of you I managed to donate £600 to our good causes this year.

As before, I donated £1 from every calendar sold to Mountain Rescue and Air Ambulance charities, check out the results . . . and of course a huge thank you to you all.