Wooden Boats

 SONG -  If I Had A Boat by Lyle Lovett

Day 17 - Thurs. May 16

About 8 miles north of our hotel is Rydal Hall & gardens which we visited on Thursday. A perfect day of sunshine, birdsong and waterfalls.

The waterfall come down off of the Cumbrian mountains and flow past the grounds tea room, under a stone bridge and on past the “Grot” built in 1668.

We then drove into the village of Ambleside on the Northern tip of Lake Windermere.  It’s was filled with hikers, runner’s & pack packers of all ages. We however were there to visit The Bridge House, a local church and scope out our dinner restaurant for the evening.

“ A tiny building, originally an apple store for nearby Ambleside Hall, was built over Stock Beck to escape land tax. Once five mills were driven by the power of Stock Beck and some may still be seen nearby. It is said that at some time a family with six children lived here in the two rooms.” - quote from “Visit Cumbria

We didn’t visit the upstairs bedroom as these were the stairs…

We walked down several streets to arrive at St Mary’s Church built in 1850. We had seen the spire while driving into town and thought it might be worth a visit. 

Later in the afternoon we took a walk along Lake Windermere and enjoyed watching the boats, ducks, swans & people. 

Oh and the Wray castle across the lake. 

We then drove to dinner in Ambleside at Bellis restaurant and headed home for a glass of wine at the bar where we bumped into & joined Robert, Jennifer & Poppy from Glasgow!

If I Had A Boat

Song - If I Had A Boat by Lyle Lovett

Busy as a bee.....

The roses are in full bloom.

The iris are just beginning to bloom.

Tomato plants (18) have been put in the vegetable garden.

 The shade garden is happily showing her beauty.

Dogwood

 

Hosta

Azalea

Fern

Fern

And the geese are doing a little hanky-panky up on our rooftop every morning.

Our neighbors roof

Then it got cold.

Very cold in comparison to the weather California has been used to. Which has been Summertime in the Winter!



Easter was held inside this year due to the rain and cold.

Yesterday it rained and then hailed.  Weird weather.

But we need the rain so much that no one is complaining.

It rained enough to bring this rowboat down the creek and lodge in some brambles by our property.



The Governor is placing California on a 25% water reduction plan starting soon.

Luckily Mr. B and I were already changing our overhead sprinklers to a drip system and Sherman (our drip guy) said his phone is ringing off the hook with jobs.

We are also collecting grey water, you know the clean water we get from waiting for the hot water to come on, water from rinsing veggies & fruit, etc.  I have buckets in both showers and pitchers near each sink to gather the water.  Then I go outside and water my potted plants. 

Today I just ordered a 50 gal. rain barrel but it's not for rainwater (because we have none) but for all of these buckets and pitchers of water.  It is truly amazing how much water can be reused.  I am now looking into organic shampoo's, soaps, etc., so that we can collect even more.

"The farmer will never be happy again; 

He carries his heart in his boots;

For either the rain is destroying his grain

Or the drought is destroying his roots." 

--Alan Patrick Herbert