A Walk up Great Burney

We set off up Great Burney, one of Wainwright's "Outlying Fells of Lakeland", rather naughtily parking at the "no parking" sign that everyone ignores. We decided to go straight up the front.

One of the best things about this walk is that you start from quite a height anyway, so you get a brilliant panoramic view without having to walk for hours - we got to the top (with 3 children, the smallest of which is 4) in less than 45 minutes. 

Another great thing about Great Burney is that you will hardly see anyone up there even though it really easy to get to. We are really lucky to live here as this part of the Lake District is off the beaten track.

Here you can see the Duddon Estuary on the left and Black Combe on the right.

On this picture you can see Burlington Slate's slate quarry with the Duddon Estuary and Irish Sea behind.

The view from the top! The lake that can be seen is Coniston Water.

Finn's little legs managed to carry him all the way to the top!

Summer is Here!

Spring Time Owl Print by smalltalkstudio

Yay, after a small glimmer of Spring in March and a truly dismal April (here in the UK anyway), it looks like Spring and Summer have arrived at once! I love this print by smalltalkstudio, and am thinking of buying one to cheer me up in the dark depths of winter.

It has been ultra hot here for the last few days and the heat really seems to have brought the allotment on. I couldn't believe the changes almost overnight.

At last! The asparagus, which I had given up on, has finally appeared (all 2 spears of it)...

My allium flowers are nearly in full bloom...

The chive flowers are now in full bloom...

Going to have tons of blackcurrants this year...

Dandelions, dandelions, everywhere!...

Gooseberries are huge considering its still May...

The flowers on the lupins appeared almost overnight...

I picked radishes and turnips to go in my salad...

Finn enjoying his ice-cream at the beach.

Loving London

I don't know if it's the Jubilee or the Olympics or a bit of both, but there are loads of lovely things with gorgeous bold London prints on them at the moment. 

Think Routemaster buses, guards wearing bearskins, black cabs, and red telephone boxes. I bought the storage tins (top picture) from Tesco (baking tins and mugs also in the range) and have, so far, managed to restrain myself from buying anything else. 

Purple Sprouting Broccoli

We had 3 purple sprouting broccoli plants this year, which was probably 2 too many. We've been eating it for weeks, but now the plants have started to flower. Hopefully, I'll be able to harvest some for a few more days. 

Freshly Picked Purple Sprouting Broccoli...

As it cooks it begins to lose its lovely deep purple colour, but look at the colour of the water! I use the water as stock.

Cooked and ready to eat, yum!

The Great British Summer, Hmm...

Sun! Not amazingly warm, but sunny. As sunshine seems to be in short supply this year I grabbed the opportunity to get out in it and go for a walk (without my winter coat, yay!).

Met a very handsome sheep and on the way back called in the allotment...

Lots of flowers on the blueberries...

The flowers on my chive plant are going to burst open any day now...

I can't believe the size of the gooseberries!

Lots of stuff growing in the greenhouse, sweetcorn (left), butternut squash (middle pot, middle row), Lebanese courgette (top right), pumpkins (right).

Strawberries covered in flowers!