mountains and lakes

Have you ever been to the Lake District in Cumbria? It's such an awe inspiring place full of water and mountains which seem somehow friendlier and less bleak than other similar places and now is my favourite time to visit when the bracken has turned it's glorious rust colour to contrast with the bright, luscious greens brought about by all the rain. Yes, it's famous for the amount of rain but we never let that put us off.

You probably can't tell that it was raining really hard when we climbed onto the fells. The rain was horizontal in the strong wind! It was the first time that I have ever been able to lean back into the wind and let it take all my weight. What a crazy feeling that was. Exhilarating!

Coincidentally, we watched the film Miss Potter recently, all about Beatrix Potter and her beloved Lake District. It was fun to see all her characters come to life. What a lovely film but so sad in one part that it made me want to cry.

Who has written better about the Lakes than Mr Wordsworth?

The Tables Turned by William Wordsworth

Up! up! my Friend, and quit your books;
Or surely you'll grow double:
Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
Why all this toil and trouble?

The sun, above the mountain's head,
A freshening lustre mellow
Through all the long green fields has spread,
His first sweet evening yellow.

Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:
Come, hear the woodland linnet,
How sweet his music! on my life,
There's more of wisdom in it.

And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
He, too, is no mean preacher:
Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your Teacher.

She has a world of ready wealth,
Our minds and hearts to bless
Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
Truth breathed by cheerfulness.

One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can.

Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
Our meddling intellect
Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:
We murder to dissect.

Enough of Science and of Art;
Close up those barren leaves;
Come forth, and bring with you a heart
That watches and receives.