These are a few of my favourite things

While my mom and brother were here, we took a trip up north to the Lake District for a few days, where we had some fantastic hikes and stopped for many pints along the way. That's one of the nice things about hiking about the countryside here - you almost always come across a welcoming pub sooner or later. So civilized.

Naturally, I sang 'Climb Every Mountain' or whatever that Sound of Music song is the whole way up. You can't help it when the birds are singing and the sun is shining and your muscles are aching but alive and you're escaping fascist ... er, anyway, the occasion seemed to call for it.



Jeff set a bold pace for us to follow the second day:



To make sure that we made it down the mountain in time to catch the last taxi home:



And we very much enjoyed the fact that the clocks had just moved back so sunset came much later:



And we finished the day with a good ol' pub meal (this one is Jeff's - I opted for roast chicken):


I also got my nerd on and visited Dove Cottage to fawn over Wm. Wordsworth's shaving kit, passport, lock of hair, pen nib, valise, fingernail clippings (okay not really), etc. I adore old everyday stuff. My favorite part of working in the Lennox and Addington County Museum and Archives - besides laughing at 1970s high school yearbooks - was examining all the odd little daily items that belonged to the Loyalist pioneers in the area. I particularly liked them because their owners weren't anybody in particular - it's like those old photos you see at antique shops where someone has dressed to the nines for the photograph, with a visible sense of self-importance, and years later no one remembers who they are. Anyway, Mom came along to Dove Cottage, but the boyz weren't interested. Hardly surprising. My brother has been travelling around continental Europe for the past several weeks (coincidentally sending me a postcard from Salzberg, the Sound of Music town). He got to drive a few laps at the most famous racetrack in Europe, which apparently merited rapturous description, but sent me an email saying Venice was 'OK'. Start quote, end quote. I think he's just reached that point where, if you see another breathtaking castle or cathedral, you might vomit. You start craving mid-century-modern furniture and elevated bungalows. It really does happen.

Perennially cheerful person that I am, I will leave you with my pet peeve of the day: trendy environmentalism. Apparently people lined up at Sainsburys grocery stores at 5 in the morning to get one of those canvas bags that say 'I am not a plastic bag' on them. Well good for you. What's that you're climbing into to drive home ... an SUV? (Or, as they fondly call them here, 'Chelsea Tractors'.)

Aw, rats. Now 'Climb Every Mountain' is in my head. Oh well, at least it's better than that 'How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?' song. Oh no ...