"That time of day when the sun hasn't come up yet but you can already feel it coming. It's an elusive warmth, like a subtle promise whispered in your ear, and you can go on with your day knowing you've been given another chance to get it right."
– Cassia Leo
With wind whipping our hair we braved the chalky coastline of Dover. Since there was a dip in the terrain it was literally 'uphill both ways.' We have hiked higher and farther – hello Lake District? This one ended up kicking us in the pants though. Maybe it was the sandals. Note to self, always bring the hiking shoes because you always need them.
We headed out at the end of a rainy day and the clouds gradually cleared by the time we reached the lighthouse a few miles out. The water and sky deepened in color with every step. Truly breathtaking by the time we got back.
Our hike led us to the Irish Sea one windy evening. The children combed through the sand for shells and spotted beached jelly fish. You can have the Caribbean. I will take the salty air and rocky coast any day.
Images from a cool evening hike to the Irish Sea. The rest of the hike to follow tomorrow. : )
One of the very best days last month was spent hiking in the Lake District, even if it didn't go quite as planned. Maybe, because it didn't go quite as planned. Our best trips usually deviate pretty widely from the intended course. We walk our way through the different parts of the world to which we travel. Usually, when we read the guides, we choose the longer more challenging more scenic routes listed. This day was no exception. The first portion of the hike was very easy and well marked, a typical sight-seeing pedestrian path. We found the extension trail connecting to this one and began our climb. Up. And upandupandup.
We've done this before and fortunately our kids are part mountain goat and never complain. At some point the well marked trail became less well marked. The guide mentioned that might happen so we pressed on. And up. The view from the top was incredible which was good because there were moments I thought it might be the last thing I saw before I died. ; )
We ate lunch at the top. At that point we just gave up the trail and followed the creek back down. We saw a meadow of cotton grass though we didn't realize what it was until we could check the internet. We met a lone sheep. We watched a helicopter rise from the valley below and eventually fly right past us.
We were so proud of those littles for their gusto and good humor we stopped at a cafe and got ice cream after.
It was a phenomenal day. I was thinking about that after we got back home. It was simply a PHENOMENAL day. But, I realize some people wouldn't have seen it that way. I guess another way of looking at it was we got lost, we had a killer climb, the creekbed turned out to be a bog – which we also didn't figure out til we got to the internet ; D We tied the little dogs to the outdoor tables while we sat and had ice cream. Littlest dog's lead loosened up and he happily jogged through the restaurant with my husband chasing after. We are still laughing over that one, but I realize not everyone would be laughing.
So, you can decide if this is a charmed life. Maybe the point is that you can decide if your life is charmed or not. My dear friend's signature box says it this way:
"An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is
an inconvenience rightly considered."
– G.K. Chesterton
The choice is yours. It is a happy woman who takes that counsel to heart and discovers that, instead of one trial after another, her life is never boring. No two days are quite the same. No, instead of the monotony of complete control and predictability she is blessed with a life full of adventure.
If you want to see the world from that vantage point, you have to push through the climb.
Our holiday hire in the Lake District was an old converted brewery. What it lacked in interior design – it was a mish mash of 70's era patterned carpeting, ultra plush velour upholstery, and lots and lots of wallpaper which happened a good decade later – it more than made up for in location. There was us and the owners who lived in the tower side of the building. And the sheep. Perfect. : )
We had full days of sightseeing and hiking but evenings were spent on the farm, eating the food we brought from town out on the lawn while the littles put on impromptu shows on the low garden wall. When it got too dark to play outside and the cool ocean breezes blew in, we started a fire inside. The children fell asleep there and were carried up to bed. Early mornings I scoured the shelf of old Reader's Digest Condensed books, reading in the kitchen til they stumbled down one by one.
The guest book yielded some really funny entries. I copied down this one:
"5 hrs from the City of Smoke
is a wonderful place full of very nice folk
Just a cottage scene I spied in passing. Made me smile. I should have snagged some eggs while I was at it.
Starry Sky Journal 