Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm - yum.

Absolutely nothing to do with food and everything to do with post-bath-and-great-weekend-and-awesome-weekend-before feeling. Even if today's bramble scratches are a bit tingly just now courtesy of a salt scrub to wrap up said bath. Even THAT feels like a good thing.

Last weekend was an epic trip around the space between Lancashire and London, this weekend was a trip over to Grange for some gardening. I thought I was going to do my usual Grange plants-and-photos update but somehow the time isn't now (which is rather useful given my phone has decided not to be technologically minded so photos would have been a challenge). Progress wasn't as dramatic as my last visit, there was no burning (there was an option to burn, but I didn't feel like it) but there's a definite shape appearing to the space and more plants got planted. In fact, the first of my home-grown plants (some garlic plants) made it into the ground which is rather exciting. And now I really need to sort out a planting plan and make sure I start generating lots of plants primed for planting outside. Nothing like the incentive of plants to put in for creating new "beds" in the limestone cracks.

The weather has been very kind this weekend and although the brilliant blue skies and warm sunshine of yesterday were missing, I went off on a mini adventure on my departure from the garden. On a walk with the family dog the night before (and the couple who own said garden) I had Humphrey Head pointed out to me - and explained as a turtle-type dragon head. Which, fundamentally, was always going to be irresistible. Given it's proximity from last night's meander I decided I'd easily be able to discover it, and on driving out of Grange saw what I thought was said Head but turns out to be Kirkhead - also interesting as it's got what looks to be a folly on it. I parked up thinking they'd be a very obvious footpath on to the head. Which there wasn't. I walked about a mile in one direction, then the same in the other to no avail but did experience the ambience of a couple of South Cumbrian rural villages and discover that I had mistakenly referenced the end of a cross-bay walk as Grange whereas in fact it was Kents Bank (discovered by ending up at Kents Bank train station). A pleasant chunk of time was spent reclining against a bank with the bay spreading out before me, then back to "my side of the bay".

Another rather marvellous development recently has been a new-found ability to read. Not that I was incapable of reading, but that I never seemed to find the time or desire to sit down and digest one of the many brilliant books I have waiting me at the moment. I seem to have cracked both the time and desire elements for now and although progress is slow, it is being made and in so doing I feel I'm nourishing an intellectual interest I have been neglecting for too many years. Huzzah.