Good morning everyone. Yes, most things are/seem awful. Some people are to blame for some of it.

So I headed up yesterday. Had the best day, which I'm sharing here with my poor photos.

Come with me, for a break from the 'gnashing of teeth'...

@townsendoutdoor @KendalMtnLitFes

I'd gone to look for mountain flowers, cool breezes and altitude. Found all 3.
A minute from the car, wheatears were skipping on rocks. I whipped out binoculars I'd taken to see unreachable flowers.
Saw dodgy litter. Turned out to be mine. Wife stashed jelly snakes in my backpack

I was glad, as I'd taken no lunch to travel light in the heat.

Lots of bubbles in the grass.
This froghopper blew them out of its bum to defend itself. Reminds me of baths with my brother when we were little.

As I climbed, I heard birds I didn't recognise.
Wheatears whistled & clicked like pebbles.

Raven's cronked and clacked like popping bubblewrap. Flew upside down, just because they can. Well, you would.

Pipits parachuting in song.

Saw silver-green where I didn't expect it.

Roseroot on rock.

Mountain Everlasting too.

Lakeland's Alpine flowers are being pushed uphill due to our climate emergency. May run out of height and places to go one day. Not so Everlasting, after all...

Wildflowers look good up there too - Golden Rod 'rock scrambling' too.

After the utter tragedy of foot & mouth disease twenty years ago, payments were linked to area rather than number of livestock. Flowers returned as grazing intensity reduced.
They're now found where the few sheep can't reach. (My photos are badly focused as I was hanging on too).

The bird noises I'd never heard had continued all this time. Closer than all others. Blending tiny sneezes and two peeps, regular as radar pings.

I'm some sort of colour-blind in brown-green and now need glasses. But I saw this. Can you? The 'mountain blackbird'. Ring Ouzel!

OK then. After all, I had the benefit of the song...

It flew on, as I crossed over towards the crags, hearing new noises I really didn't recognise. It seemed to be coming much closer, but then stopped suddenly.

I realised that meant I was (accidentally) right on top of it...

Ring Ouzel fledglings! I couldn't see them at all.
One shot off, about a yard from me.

Then this one complete with mad eyebrows stopped to give me the dead eye. Quite right too - I needed to clear right off.

The old binoculars/camera dilemma again! Chose camera.

Cleared off.

Led me on a bit of a detour. Which led me to this treasure. I'd promised my nephew, Connor, a crystal. Perfect.

Left another as guardian, watching over the ring ouzels.

Forgotten the flowers! A beautiful breeze pushed me 2000ft up this wall. Mountain sorrel. Wood cranesbill.

This canny Herdwick gave me an idea.

Found a nook of my own for a while. Book, jelly snakes. First line of the page I opened on...

Read for ages. Absolutely buzzing with the morning I'd had.

Tadpoles in summit tarns.
Always find super-cool flies way up there too.

I'd got carried away & drunk my summit G&T* in the book nook. Eaten all the snakes too.

Didn't stay up top too long but saw four of The Lakes.

*Insulated with spare socks. Works a treat. Take litter home.

PS Forgot the skylarks! That's how good yesterday was. Please enjoy your weekend the best you can.
Talk to people who can help.

PPS "accept the things I cannot change, give me courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference"...(or summat like that, anyway).