I've been everywhere man...

I've just had the most amazing week.  Yesterday my uncle took me driving; up, over, down, and across the lakes.  We travelled over a vast amount of land and took the ferry accross  Derwent Water to Windemere and then through Keswick with a side trip which included some shopping.  Then today he took me to Moncaster Castle.  Wow, the gardens were full of Rhododendrums and the castle was lovely.  The family still lives in the castle and they narrated the audio tour which gave it a personal touch.  My cousins and I finished off this excellent break with dinner out.  I really do consider myself blessed, to have been given this wonderful gift of getting to know my family.  This is something I will always be thankful for.  It's back to Grimsby tomorrow so I hope you enjoy the last two days of pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Favourite shot of the week, just saying.

Steam powered gondola.

We found a one way road on the mountain and it took us deep into a forest but somehow it seemed tropical.

Crossing on the ferry to Windemere.

Flowers just grow everywhere, even in the rocks.

Airing their dirty laundry at Moncaster castle, maybe this is my favourite.

Consider yourself luck, I took so many pictures of the Rhododendrums that this could be a botanical blog.  I only picked some of my favourites.

Lampshades in the trees, why not!

The view from Moncaster Castle, maybe this is my favourite of the week.

There was also an owl sanctuary.

There were too many great opportunities for the category of my favourite shot of the week.  This is definitely my favourite.

In the Lakes

Well.... technically at the Lakes.

On friday Amy and I ran from the school and headed to Lancaster where her family lives.  I spent the evening and morning there, soaking up the beautiful town.
Currently I am in the Lake district, the weather has been so nice that the weather forecasters must be surprised.  On Sunday my cousin Brenda and her friend Tony took me on the Ratty ( a 15" gauge train that runs from Ravengalss to Dalegarth).  Once there we went on a fabulous walk where we experienced just a bit of light rain.  But, when the train arrived to pick up passengers it was drenched.  They had to stop the train during the journey to let the passengers take cover in the enclosed section of the train.  During our return not a drop of rain fell on us.  I am calling this the Canadian factor, when Amy and I were driving to Lancaster, the rain stopped when we needed it and the traffic was clear.  Yesterday my Uncle took me to the top of a mountain to see a Roman Fort built in the second century.  The view was breathtaking.  Today hold another excellent adventure but enjoy this one first.

Went to Dalegarth on this one.

Had to pull over for the Diesel to pass us.

Returned on this one.

King George mailbox.

Bluebells

Look at that cloud!

The perfect English cottage.

Rhodaendrums cover the hills.

On the beach at Ravenglass

Hardnott Pass, that is a car on the bend.

The sheep is laughing at us.

Uncle Ernest

The Roman fort at the top of the mountain.

 Looking down from the fort.

Ginger

Paddington (he tried to bite my butt), there is not an ounce of farm girl left in me, I was terrified.

Ruepert

The beach at Braystone.

Something a bit different.

I spent yesterday with my friend from the camera club.  This time we went to East Kirkby.  East Kirkby operates an old airport from WWII and was once home to 58 Lancaster Bombers.  Now they have one of the 2 remaining Lancs in England.  The one here can only taxy and the second is one of two in the world that can still fly,  the other is in Hamilton Ontario.  During the war my father was an armorer for the Lancaster and worked on the ground crew.  The airport is home to a museum which is dedicated to the men and women who worked there.  It was an amazing opportunity to learn a bit about what my dad's life might have been like.  We took a tour of the original base with a guide who was young at the time of the war and his descriptions of the sights and sounds was so insightful.  He brought empathy and wonder to the events that unfolded in 1943(when the base became operational).  I will have to research my dads papers when I get home to see which squadron he served in.  As well as visiting the museum there was a large model airplane demonstration going on and a motorcyle meeting. The bikes ranged from vintage to modern and the planes were jet and propeller.  Then the Lancaster was running and giving payers a taxy ride up and down the field.  And if that was not enough, a full size Spitfire made a few passes to wow the audience.

Just a model, you have an idea of the scale on the ground but once they are airborne forget it.

Model

Model

A model of the Lancaster in the air and the real thing on the ground.

Real, this is the Spitfire that visited.

The Lancaster taxying.

This time the angled shot really works.

The "Queen Mary", a 1940'3 truck with trailer that would have been used to transfer large plane parts but now it takes museum goers around the airport.

The bombs inside.

The large group of enthusiastic bikers.

Thought of Jim.

Looks as though it has not been cared for since the 40's.  I imagined many service men and women using this while stationed at East Kirkby.

Patiently waiting for a ride.

On the way home we stopped at the Bolingbroke Castle, birthplace of Henry IV.  This is a scene of a pond/mote and the church beyond.  Nothing is left of the castle but the foundation.

This was an entrance to the kitchen tower

Then this popped up.

Graham is a bus fanatic and I was happy to join him in this photo opportunity.