SATURDAY
A walk along the canal to see all the boats that had arrived for the annual Waterways festival. There are usually a fair few boats along the bit of canal where we walk, but this weekend a lot more had sailed in and they were all dressed up for the occasion.I love, love, love the colours in these pictures, almost every boat was decorated with jolly bunting flags and many had wonderful tubs of flowers on the rooftops too. It was bustling and cheerful, colourful and happy.
There was to be a "twilight illuminated cruise" that night with all the boats lit up with fairy lights sailing down the canal. The Little People were desperate to go and see it but we were doubtful they would have the energy to stay up until 9.45pm. But as it happened, the little street where we live is inhabited by some very sociable families who take to their small front gardens in warm weather (we are only just finding this out as we moved here in Winter when folk were tucked up indoors). And it doesn't seem to take a lot for a little impromptu street party to form. So we found ourselves out in the street on Sunday evening, the Big People drinking and chatting while the Little People played together in a big laughing chattering gang. And as the evening wore on and the light faded, we all walked down to the canal together to see the boats and the lights twinkling and reflecting in the water. It was quite magical.
SUNDAY
About once a month J and I manage to escape the responsibilities of parenthood for half a day and head off into the Yorkshire Dales to walk. We have this book which has had some serious hammer, I think we first bought it in about 1994 not long after we met and discovered we both enjoyed walking the hills. The walks in the book are all circular and vary in length from 4 to 10 miles :: we have done some of them dozens of times over the years in all seasons and all weathers and always look forward to doing them again.
But this rainy Sunday was to be different as instead of the two of us, we had decided to take Little Man along with us for the first time. We had managed to buy him some second hand walking boots and he was raring to go, bouncing around like a puppy, full of anticipation of doing a Big Walk. It was such a shame that it was so wet, in fact it didn't let up for the whole six miles. But despite the wet stuff, we still enjoyed it enormously. Enjoyed the drippy wet picnic lunch in the woods, and the soggy wet meander along the river, and the squelchy wet walk over hills and across pastures.
MONDAY
Monday was our pyjama day indoors for the most part as it was grey and cold and we felt the need for house rest. But miraculously by early evening when we had tired of crafting and playing and film-watching, the weather actually wasn't half bad. So around 5pm we packed a swift picnic and headed to a nearby reservoir for tea.
There's a bench about half way round which looks out across the water to the little boathouse. It's breezy here, but the early evening light is magical and we enjoy a lovely dinner of quiche and salad with crusty sunflower seeded bread. Finish off with a cup of tea and home made rock buns, then walk the rest of the way around the water watching the boats skim across.
Then home to get back into pyjamas and oh yes :: lets light a fire....oh the joys of a real fire! I'll tell you more about our new fire another time, but let me tell you we are loving it enormously. I mean, its wonderful being out and about, canals and rivers and reservoirs, hills and woods and pastures. But its heaven to be home at the end of a long weekend of outings and weather, sitting by the fireside feeling warm, cosy and content. And Home.
Wow - what a fabulous weekend! Sounds like you could do with another to get over it!
I love the photos of the canal. We did a canal boat holiday a couple of years ago - it was just brilliant.
Posted by: Dragonfly | May 09, 2008 at 01:59 PM
It sounded like such a wonderful weekend! Especially the twilight boat cruise- that sounds like it would have been so magical.
Posted by: Chris | May 07, 2008 at 10:23 PM
You live in such a beautiful part of the world. I would love to come and explore the area one day.
Posted by: simone | May 07, 2008 at 02:13 PM