weather and failed astronomy

 A trifle wet...but needed, even if it prevented us seeing the lunar eclipse.
We did see the Moon and Mars briefly last night...

This morning's Hannahston walk...

After watching Geraint's well deserved victory in the Tour de France...luckily in dry weather.. we now have a peachy glowing sunset.

Ambleside sports

 Up at 5am....out soon after 6....coffee and egg roll in Thornhill after an hour...then a further two hours to Ambleside...
We,the cyclists do the usual job of filling in the gaps between fell running, wrestling, athletics, hound trail running...

 The fell run.   And the big sprint....won by a woman!

 sheltering from the sun,with one of my daughter's competitors and teammates from twenty years ago..she is on a comeback after a ten year break.
We had good racing, Womens' events for a change with nine riders....and I wasn't last!

 and here is Femke with the Pirate. She borrowed wheels,but is back riding the first frame built for her.

She lives in Cumbria and the spring at their farmhouse has dried up for the first time in memory.  We drove home past Thirlmere and it was a shock to see how low the water level was.

saving summer

 three large punnets of strawberries, three drying trays....one small jar of sweet nibbles

 A David Austin (aged 92 and still rose breeding) rose, "Munstead Wood"

 a beautiful rose, flowers well, marvellous perfume...drying for pot pourri, cordial, possibly a conserve....

dealing with grass..

and hedges and weeds...

work....and play...looking over the Solway Firth to Cumbria

 yarnbombing at...

 The Inn in Carsthorn where, nearly 200 years ago,people were leaving by steam packet boat for Liverpool, twice a week....and thence to NZ,Australia,Canada....

 traffic jam on the way home

We had a longer ride on the Sunday, finding dumfriesshire lanes new to us..and went past the village of Beeswing for the first time.
We rode through part of the Mabie Forest (on an ordinary road) and saw a goshawk swoop from the trees at one side into the trees at the other.

on the grass...

 Four days of grasstrack racing..we are "fillers" in the general events..

 the fell run course

Alva, near Stirling...then next day to the West and Rosneath..

Under every tree..a piper trying to stay in tune! With a rough track and long grass, I missed out on this one.
Loch Lomond on the way home.

Its there somewhere...honest....

Next day,a complete contrast...Burntisland,opposite Edinburgh,on the Forth...and the games held on the public links in fair week...

 and then the long drive over the Rest and be Thankful to Inverary on the West again..somewhere we must visit again, with camera and drawing book,to enjoy and go leisurely.
The games were held on the shinty field of Inverary Castle, the home of the Dukes of Argyll, and head of Clan campbell.

 the estate gardeners,mending the divots raised by the Heavies...

 and the Inverary and District pipe band...world champions...

 and me,bringing up the rear,making up the numbers!

and above all,the watchtower,once on alert for invaders

We longed to stay longer once the games had finished...but at 4 pm
 with a hundred miles to drive.....