I (Jesus) am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Revelation 22:13
Our New Home
Sulphur-crested cockatoos daily visit the park over the road from our home.
One can hear them screeching at both dawn and dusk.
They eat insects, berries and seeds - the seeds perhaps being a farmer's ripening crop!
The Great Outdoors
Memories of England's Coast-to-Coast Walk Saturday 16th July, 2005
It was a pleasure being a "Mum" today and preparing a Birthday Breakfast for Son Number 3!
Here is hubby's daily diary.....
We woke to an overcast sky and a brisk wind. Got up late so we could first go shopping in Shap and then cook Jonathan’s Birthday Breakfast, which was very good. Bacon, eggs, milk and then cheese cake for his birthday cake. We sang Happy Birthday and presented him with 15 small chocolates.
I got us lost in the afternoon because we missed a bridle path across the moors to Orton, but we did eventually find the town. Orton was a quaint little village with a
chocolate factory! We chatted with the
Australian Coast-to-Coast hikers in the village, then headed for the chocolate
factory where we sat in a lovely relaxing café, the three of us enjoying a
welcome pot of tea for an hour or so.
We were thankful to eventually reach Bent’s Farm at 9.00 p.m. As we approached, we met a group of special-needs children out walking with their helpers. One of the men relieved Jonathan of both his backpacks! Jonathan was carrying Denise’s backpack along with his own backpack! He had been carrying both for the last mile or so. We sat outside the barn at Bent’s Farm. This group were holidaying in the barn for a few days. They were very generous, and gave us “afternoon tea” - the most delicious chocolate cake we have ever eaten in our lives - plus a very welcome cup of tea.
We went to find the farmer’s wife who showed us where to pitch our tents. She gave us 3 large bowls of hot water to soak our sore feet in. For the facility of an outside toilet, a patch of grass to pitch our tents and for the country kindness, we were only charged ₤2.50 each. It wasn’t a comfortable night - me with hayfever and Denise with very sore feet – but we felt loved and cared for, and we were grateful.
We were sad to hear of the fate of the lady hiker who had been having trouble with her hiking boots. She had arrived earlier that day at Bent’s Farm with bleeding feet, the soles of her boots having fallen off. The farmer's wife drove the couple to the nearest town, and I expect that was the end of their Coast-to-Coast walk.
Memories of England's Coast-to-Coast Walk Saturday 16th July, 2005
It was a pleasure being a "Mum" today and preparing a Birthday Breakfast for Son Number 3!
Here is hubby's daily diary.....
Day 8 Shap - Bent's Farm Jonathan's 15th birthday!
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| The ups and downs from Shap to Bent's Farm |
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| A delicious 15th birthday breakfast - we waited for the shop at Shap to open, and bought bacon, eggs, milk and cheese cake! |
We woke to an overcast sky and a brisk wind. Got up late so we could first go shopping in Shap and then cook Jonathan’s Birthday Breakfast, which was very good. Bacon, eggs, milk and then cheese cake for his birthday cake. We sang Happy Birthday and presented him with 15 small chocolates.
Set off at 10.30 a.m. and
found the sun to be breaking through
the cloud – which it did! It turned into a beautiful sunny day with
cool winds. The walk was easy and
enjoyable, even though it was long.
 |
| Stopping for lunch, a rest and a read of the newspaper! Whenever I could I would buy the paper. Came in handy for keeping us warm at night on a couple of occasions! |
 |
| Jonathan enjoyed a browse around the chocolate factory while Denise and I enjoyed a one-hour pot of tea! |
Denise rested her very sore
feet, with tape over blisters and bandages over socks to give extra support.
We left Orton at 4:30 p.m. with chocolates in hand, and another 8 miles to hike. We were very tired.
We left Orton at 4:30 p.m. with chocolates in hand, and another 8 miles to hike. We were very tired.
 |
| Approaching Bent's farm just before meeting the kind campers who gave us afternoon tea. |
We were thankful to eventually reach Bent’s Farm at 9.00 p.m. As we approached, we met a group of special-needs children out walking with their helpers. One of the men relieved Jonathan of both his backpacks! Jonathan was carrying Denise’s backpack along with his own backpack! He had been carrying both for the last mile or so. We sat outside the barn at Bent’s Farm. This group were holidaying in the barn for a few days. They were very generous, and gave us “afternoon tea” - the most delicious chocolate cake we have ever eaten in our lives - plus a very welcome cup of tea.
We went to find the farmer’s wife who showed us where to pitch our tents. She gave us 3 large bowls of hot water to soak our sore feet in. For the facility of an outside toilet, a patch of grass to pitch our tents and for the country kindness, we were only charged ₤2.50 each. It wasn’t a comfortable night - me with hayfever and Denise with very sore feet – but we felt loved and cared for, and we were grateful.
 |
| Setting up camp inside a walled area near the farmer's house. Denise would soon arrive with 3 large bowls of hot water from the farmer's wife - to soak our feet in! Such luxury! |
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| Denise's very sore and bandaged feet! |
We were sad to hear of the fate of the lady hiker who had been having trouble with her hiking boots. She had arrived earlier that day at Bent’s Farm with bleeding feet, the soles of her boots having fallen off. The farmer's wife drove the couple to the nearest town, and I expect that was the end of their Coast-to-Coast walk.
