(disconnect)
I was staying in a cottage in the lake district for a few days. It’s a place we’ve been before, both Cumbria in general – a regular meet for friends who are long since family, and this particular house, which, while it has it’s shortcomings, meets many of our needs comfortably.
On this vist there was also a …significant … birthday celebration , music, champagne, dancing, fine food, did I mention dancing? In fact there were facets of the event across all three days, in addition to the highlight of the main evening.
Fabulous, is term much missused, “in the manner of fable – mythical” but I think that sometimes we dance on the edge of myth when we all come together. I have facebook pictures of Champagne chilling in my back garden in the snow (beside the snow fort), from Marches past, but this weekend, as if it had been booked for a special performance, the sun shone gloriously.
The outpost where we stayed is in Tirril just outside Penrith, with broad views across open countyside. One of its limitations is spotty wifi, and poor mobile signals, so when I arose on the Sunday I found my phone had no -charge (constantly scanning for signal) and had to leave it plugged in, in our bed room.
It is fairly normal that I, and lovely wife, are among the early risers, but for me packing and cleaning come after that first coffee. So I sit alone outside in the early sun, at a picnic table under blue skies, surveying the special quality of light that only exisits in certain times and places.
I’m tying not to doomscroll and not always succeeding, but even without that I would surely have sat catching the; “great party”, “thanks” , “hey cracking photo”, that is the inevitable e-sharing of a close company in the aftermath of a high day. However no phone, and just the passing Oyster Catchers (I’m told) for company, gave me thirty minutes with the sun, the seemingly endless sky, and the Cumbrian countryside.
Fabulous indeed!
Next week On IaDL… Do we still have a roof??
Dalmallyfest the Asylum 