Blackberries galore

After our walk last weekend, we were itching to get out again to collect all those lovely blackberries.  We were somewhat thwarted by the weather as it rained every morning - very frustrating.  However, on Friday it dawned bleak but not raining so we donned our wellies and headed back out to Austwick.  We are glad we did as managed to harvest 6lbs of fruit in under an hour!

Notes for future blackberrying:
1) Wear wellies
2) Take secateurs
3) Take hardy gloves

There were many berries we couldn't get too because of thorns and nettles!

Bagpuss

Tom did a very good job, wasn't that bothered by the thorns or the nettles and was quite diligent.

We got back home and Tom got changed and went to school for the afternoon.

Saturday wasn't a very nice day (again).  The boys went into Settle in the morning taking a lot of rubbish to the tip (we have finally taken delivery of a new bed - our one has been broken since Telford), and to give me time to finish off a cake - this one in the shape of Bagpuss.  I got quite attached to him - even though he took an age to finish.

Scruffy pirate

In the afternoon we headed off to Eli and Adam's for Adam's 4th birthday party.  We dressed Tom up in his pirate attire - his ragged T-shirt is now really small - so I cut the collar and put it on him.  You could see his belly button - but I think he looks more like an authentic pirate than the shop bought costumes.

Luckily Finn (one of Tom's classmates) was at the party too - Kate and Eli are friends.  This made a huge difference to Tom as he didn't know anyone else there (made a difference to us too!). The two of them played really nicely together and Matt got a chance to question Kate to death about motorbikes and the TT.  We had a good time:  a treasure hunt, pass the parcel and a fantastic slide with a tent on top which all the kids loved.  We had such a good time we actually stayed longer than the official party time - sorry Eli.  Thankfully for the first day in ages it didn't rain - hurray.  Especially as Eli's garden is such a fab garden for little ones.

Sunday finally dawned nice, so we took Bagpuss to Seasons for them to pass on and then headed back to Austwick to do another new walk, this time via Feizor where I had been told there was a lovely cafe.  

Carefully crossing the cattlegrid

Me and Tom

We headed off and enjoyed another wonderful walk around some low dales.  Once again the walk was along old cart tracks which I find quite lovely.  It wasn't too strenuous and we found the cafe without any trouble and it was as lovely as we had been told.  The owner took time out to make sure we were being well looked after and the food was good - it just had a general good atmostphere.  Feizor is at the end of a dead end, so you won't find the cafe by accident, you have to know it is there to go there.  As a result it was full of walkers and cyclists, oh and some horses brought their riders here as well parked up next to the cafe and they ALL tucked into bacon sandwiches and chips (and I thought horses were vegetarian?!)

Lovely scenery

Whilst we were sat outside we were treated to farmer cabaret.  A very angry farmer was shouting manically at his sheepdog who was obviously not doing as he was told as he drove some sheep through his garden and then up past the cafe.  His language was, shall we say, flowery.  Luckily Tom didn't hear / take it in.  Was quite funny though.

We carried on around the walk, taking in the view.  We finally came out on 'blackberry alley' as we now call it and managed to pick another 1lb of fruit (the ones we missed on Friday).  Then back home for a roast dinner and a blackberry and apple crumble (well we had to after all this picking!)