Muggy weather

keilder


herterton house gardens

Well we went out yesterday (saturday) eventhough it was drizzling rain but getting some fresh air seemed like a good idea as we've both had this viral infection thats doing its rounds again! It probably wasnt the best day to go out as the rain hardly let up so we just explored for a few hours around black middens nr bellingham, falstone a really pretty little place and then keilder lake.
The sightseeing boat was out on the lake at keilder so i thought id be brave and try to go on it with hubby (malcolm) and the dog...but im terrified of boats and when i saw how the jetty thing for you to get on the boat was bobbing up and down in the water and wobbling like anything...i bottled it im embarrassed to say :( One day maybe i might try it again!
Sunday morning seemed a little better than yesterday it wasnt raining and the sun was trying to burn through, so packed a lunch etc and headed off up the coast, but decided after passing amble to head inland to see if the weather was any better, but it was really warm everywhere eventhough it was still cloudy. On our travels we passed Herterton house gdns next to hartington hall and decided to have a look around. This is well worth the £3 enterance fee if your ever up that way as theres 5 gardens to walk around or sit in, and it is just amazing that the old couple who own this beautiful property maintain it all themselves and they must be at easily 70 yrs of age! but still treat the obvious hardwork they put in everyday as a labour of love..they're an inspiration. They told us one of their advertsing signs fell down on the rd outside so theyre loosing buisness from passers by, but the council want £1000 to put it back up (disgraceful) but they said they couldnt afford to pay that as they didnt know if theyd live long enough to reap back the £1000 through entry fees!..such a shame theyre a lovely couple and its taken them 33 yrs to get to where they are today.
After leaving the gardens we drove about and ended up near the ranges at otterburn along through wainfordrigg, high carrick and we sat for a while and watched a couple of pairs of plovers at laingshill that must be breeding there and a curlew breeding in the next field. The road ends quite abruptly at laingshill as the m.o.d wont let you go any further on so we had to turn turned around and go back again. Theres a small layby called billsmoorfoot not far along the road next to duns farm/caravan park so we pullled up there to let the dog out, stretch our legs and have a sandwich and 4 army trucks pulled up next to us and out piled a couple of groups of soldiers off to play games in the small wood behind the farm....not the best place for some peace and quiet so needless to say we didnt stay long. Apart from the few plovers and the curlew we saw nr otterburn we didnt get to see many birds except for a pair of greenfinches and a chaffinch next to a railway crossing.
Well we're off to shropshire on the 4th july for a weeks holiday so will be offline, but hope to get out in the evenings after work for an hour or so before we go, weather permitting.