On Sunday I bid farewell to Scotland as I slid smoothly along the rail back into England. After 3 trains, 2 buses and a ferry I arrived in the Lake District for my first WWOOFing experience. I'm staying with a couple who work as professional gardeners on large estates. For 1 week I'm staying in a one hundred year old stone house in the middle of the Lake District with them near a place called Grasmere. The first day was very wet, and I came in with my rain jacket soaking, but dry underneath except for my sleeves. Thank you so much Irene for telling me to get rain pants! It has really paid off, and I was so glad of them that day. Since Monday the days have been warmer and drier, apparently much more like July.
My prize project has been hedging a very long, overgrown hedge over the majority of the last 3 days. I am very proud of the difference my work has made, hence all the photos of the hedge! I think I will be able to finish it tomorrow if it doesn't rain too hard.
I have yet to go for a walk here, but in a way I don't really need too. There are so many beautiful secluded areas of the garden I don't need to go anywhere else. The garden doesn't appear very large, but as you wander around one bend you find another path zigzagging up or down amid flowers, bushes, trees, and of course hedges! Right now I am sitting under a Weeping Beach tree with its long branches pouring down to the ground.
The couple I'm staying with are very amiable people. The man grew up in Scotland, and his wife in Germany. We've had great talks over dinner on everything from twins to wars and politics to black sheep. There is a flock of sheep (with many black ones) just over the hedge and I listen to them and the cows talking on and off throughout the day. I've also had the much louder, and timely flyby of a couple of what I assume are small military planes now for the last 2 or 3 days.
I'm enjoying the presence of the two cats, who spend the day out mousing in the garden, and curl up ever so perfectly in front of the fire in the evening. There is a charming little plaque in the house that reads: "Home is where the cat hairs stay on everything, but the cat."
The other one I love that truly captures the essence of the Scots reads: "How Scotland was created: at the beginning of time God was discussing the creation of the wold with the Angle Gabriel. Leaning back in his golden throne, He told him of His plans for Scotland.
"Gabriel," said God "I'm going to give Scotland towering mountains and magnificent glens resplendent with purple heather. Red deer will roam the countryside, golden eagles will circle in the skies, salmon will leap in the crystal clear rivers and lochs, and the surrounding seas will team with fish. Agriculture will flourish and their will be a glorious bringing together of water with barley to be known as whisky. Call, oil and gas - all will be there. The Scots will be intelligent, innovative, industrious and ....."
"Wait a minute!" Interrupted Gabriel. "Aren't you being just a wee bit too generous to these Scots?"
But the Almighty replied, "Not really. I haven't told you yet who their neighbors are going to be!" "
I think I'll venture off on a couple walks, and a visit to Beatrix Potter's place over the weekend when I have two free days in this good old English part of the Isles.
