Hiking in the Lake District

Alas! Seemingly all the big things that happen in my life seem to get immortalised in articles instead of blog posts! (Just sent article on Lake District holiday to editor). Luckily, I had loads left to say about the rolling green mountains and shimmering lakes that just wouldn't squeeze into the mean 600 words, so can put some photographs and writing here too. Yay! Am trying to avoid overlap, so for full story people might have to wait until August when article goes on t'internet.

(Wastwater Youth Hostel)(Both: Trees by Wastwater Lake) We set off all eager from the youth hostel at Wastwater Lake on the first day. Our boots were covered in only a light film of dust, from easy strolls around the Peak District at home. We had yet to experience the soggy and harsh District de la Lakes where climbing 600m is a "day of rest". Or I least I hadn't - my dad and brother who accompanied me had already done a similar 'manly' post-GSCE holiday 2 years before. (Trees, brother and dad by Wastwater Lake)(The sunset on the hills surrounding Black Sail Hostel and stone corner of hostel)(Sunset)
The first day was the most difficult. Having decided that since Sca Fell (964m) and Scafell Pike (highest point in England at 978m) were seperated by a mere 14m it would be a positive breeze to tick both boxes in the same day, as well as face a difficult walk from Wastwater to the small Black Sail youth hostel. Shockingly, this place has no road access, plugs, proper plumbing, and sleeps only 16 people! Sca Fell is very difficult. The scree cloaking the steep slopes means each step slips a little, damaging your muscles and your morale! But all you can do is just keep marching along, focusing on the top and the views that await. What we forgot, of course, was the fact that these mountains are seperated by a whopping great ravine, so you have to undo all that sweating and aching on the way up, skid down the slope and walk all the way back up again to do both.

(The view from Scafell Pike)

(My rucksack and boots)

Nearly all my photographs from the 4 days are of views - nowhere near as interesting as the colourful foreign land of Barcelona. But there is a lot of beauty in the lakes and hills, particularly in the sun. It's just when the notorious mountain mists come down and blur it all that you're left wondering whether that bit of rocky crag with a grassy hill in the background is Kirk Fell, or Green Gables, or Pillar, or Haystacks...(On the way up Sca Fell)

(Both: cute sheep at the top of Pillar, who investigated our cheese and onion crisps)

We had all the cool equipment - and this is an area I really enjoy. When you're a "serious hiker" (which I now feel more than qualified to flatter myself with, particularly after the 12 hour Sca Fell/Scafell Pike exhausting disaster of the first day) you look the part. You have beautiful walking boots and tanned skin and midge bites. In your 35l rucksack you have waterproof over-trousers and a cagoule which you are (of course) incredibly practised at ripping out and wriggling into, the second a water drop or a white swirl of mist touch your sunburnt nose. And when at the youth hostel and enjoying talking to all the friendly people there, you can proudly state that you are going to walk up Helvellyn (950m) later in the week and listen to all the interesting stories of the hills they have climbed. You can nod enthusiatsically as they talk of Scafell Pike and fabulous scenic views!(A pool/stream to cool our aching feet in at Black Sail at the end of the day) (Both: Sheep at the front door of Black Sail)

Helvellyn was not very fun to climb actually. The classic way of doing it is to go up Striding Edge (the rocky ridge leading up one side of the mountain) then to go down Swirrel Edge (similar ridge on opposite side). Unfortunately, it is nothing like steady plodding becuase to navigate the ridge one has to clamber all over dangerous-looking crags and things. When we reached the top we enjoyed the great view. Helvellyn surrounds a deep blue lake at the bottom called Red Tarn. Then the mist came down and we had the fun game of who can whip out and don their waterproof gear first. (My beautiful wonderful boot)(My brother and I at the top of Helvellyn)

(Striding Edge)

It was a beautiful and challenging adventure, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Exam Freedom

If you asked young people, I'd expect that the worst week of their lives is probably going to be someone around the exam period. It's stressful and filled with worry about marks and the future - eurgh. The good thing about this is that when the bad stuff ends, the freedom and happiness that is Summer is all the more wonderful!
Basically I have little more responsibility until September - it's all just day after day of sun and friends. Picnics, lunches, and more things planned! France, the lake District (climbing Scafell Pike and Hellvelyn) and my Silver D of E expeditions. It's fabulous!
The exams went okay. The only problem is, I'm very competitive and also sort of a perfectionist, so I hope I'm satisfied come August when I get the results. Then it's Sixth Form for me and more responsibility. Bleh.
It's still hot and sunny outside, so I'm off to relax and enjoy myself. Expect an actual easyopen smile soon! Thank you for all the good luck wishes.

Exams

So I'm deep into the scary, stressful month that is GCSE exams. My days swing between revision, and pancakes for lunch. And then a long, tiring exam.
Expect me back in a cheerful blogging mood and filled with exciting facts to entertain you all with when they are all over, aproximately 20th June. Wish me luck!

A Good Read

I was inspired by the Vlogemotions carnival happening at Fort Thompson to produce a sort of video blog. The list of people there trying out the scary procedure for the first time made me really eager! Combine this with my desire to tell my readers about my bountiful bookcase and personal reading tastes, and you have yourself this post! I was a little nervous and a slight cold didn't exactly help matters, but thanks to a little chopping in Windows Movie Maker it all turned out great.

Books Mentioned During the Video
Red = recommended (by me) for all ages
Starred with blue star (*) = my absolute favourites

Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech

*Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

*Lucas by Kevin Brooks

Candy by Kevin Brooks

*Witch Child by Celia Rees

Sorceress by Celia Rees

Waking Dream by Rhiannon Lassiter

Paralysed by Sherry Ashworth

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

*Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty

Calling Cassie Crazy by Jaclyn Moriarty

Becoming Bindi Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty

Guitar Girl by Sarra Manning

Festival by David Belbin
*Last Chance by Sarah Dessen

*Voices by Sue Mayfield

*This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

*Before I Die by Jenny Downham

*Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman

Checkmate by Malorie Blackman

Red Sky in the Morning by Elizabeth Laird

Reckless by Sue Mayfield

Midnight

An idea copied from Anna at LIFE: My Personal, Psychosomatic Playground. Why not write a post on paper and scan it in? I've provided a typed version at the bottom (although that doesn't include the doodles and pictures) if my handwriting proves too difficult to read! Click to enlarge and zoom in on photo.
[It’s the magic hour.
I’ve just slid in the front door, tiptoeing from the cool dark outside to the soft lighting of the indoors. I’m smiling – I love babysitting and I love the freedom and power that the late night has provided. I lock up, excited.
I could do anything right now. The house is my oyster. I could go and eat a yogurt or I could make pancakes. I place the keys on the kitchen table and flick off the light. In the living room my mind flits to the possibility of finishing that programme I was watching, or writing a blog post. It’s so late anyway, and the silence so warm and comfortable that another hour would make no difference. I could just dance – just leap up and throw some noiseless cheerful shapes in the center of this deserted room. The possibilities are endless.
I close the door to the living room and creep up the stairs. How fun it was this evening to laugh with the children, how responsible to smooth the possible disputes with a smile and some carefully chosen, charmingly delivered words.
Once upstairs, I switch the landing light off and stretch in my room. I’m invincible! And now I’m so cosy in my cotton pyjamas. I could stay up and read until even earlier in the morning if I wished. How tempting it is to finish my book right now, by the light from my dusty bedside lamp. What does it matter? Any damage done from a lack of sleep is already done.
But it just isn’t going to happen. I want to relax, to curl up in those winding sheets and I can’t fight my blinking eyes any longer no matter how much power and excitement and infinite possibilities could await. It’s too late, and I am too happy.
Goodnight everyone.]

To Do Lists

I was sitting on my desk the other day, doing some revision when (desperate for some form of distraction) I noticed a small sheet of paper sticking out from under my lamp. It was a to do list, and quite an old one. Reading down the same writing I realised I could cross off almost every single one! I have entered the Food Write it Competition, have decided not to sew my ballet shoes until after the exams and have finished my bronze D of E!

This is when I realised it: To Do Lists can cheer you up or depress you. They help you to prioritise, focus your energies and get the job done - in theory.

The best thing is finding a crumpled up age old to do list at the back of a drawer, much like my example. Or even Play in Sandpit with Other Children. Check! Learn the Alphabet. Check! Well, maybe not quite that old. Write a list or two for yourself right now and hide it somewhere. In a few months you should discover the paper in an old cereal box and will revel in all you've accomplished. That's 10 out of 10, 100%. Go you! Another way to achieve this is a list of really easy fun "jobs", for example listen to the radio or eat ice cream.

Crossing out is triumph and success - that's why it's the best bit. It's your reward for doing the job, and it's twice as good as a hot chocolate break. So, it should be savoured. You must prepare the pens, do a few small ticks, then larger ticks, cross out the ticks, draw lines through the words, do some scribbles and end with a victory dance! Make sure to repeat in different colours for full rainbow effect.

The problem is to do lists can become so easily depressing. If they're too long they can start to seriously depress you. One way to solve this is to use really short keywords and abbreviations to keep it short and neat (and preferably on one page). Try "Pepper" as opposed to "Put Pepper out in run, clean Pepper and feed and water Pepper". Makes decoding old ones more fun, and far more cryptic in case brother dearest decides to do some nosing.

So the basic message is this. Have fun writing your list and crossing off the points but don't get too carried away in excessive procrastination. Page long lists are depressing so keep it short and abbreviated. Those ones are much easier to lose/hide/forget about for a cheerful retrieval later. Oh, and maybe do the things on the to do list too? Just a thought.

Chinese Takeaway

I'm really hungry - starving in fact. It's that feeling when you know you shouldn't snack, because dinner will be in just half an hour, and you're going to enjoy eating it so much on an empty stomach... When the food finally arrives, in plastic pots and silver foil trays, there's nothing quite like wrenching them open and unleashing the oily tasty goodness inside.

There's confusion amongst the numbers as me and my family or friends guess which food item is which by deciphering the numbers on the lids. But it doesn't really matter. The dishes were only really selected on a "Ooh we haven't had a Wondering Dragon before. I wonder what that is?!?!" basis.

The taste itself, combined with the hunger, the warmth and the family, makes the meal. Chinese food carries huge spectrums of sweet, salty and sour, and an even greater range of textures. My general technique is to pile a little of everything onto my plate then circle with my fork, jabbing and tasting a bit of everything like a sock circling in a tumble dryer.

Too soon you're mopping up the sauce and finishing the prawn crackers and only the memory lingers. Still, it was a good memory. Cheer yourself up with some wholesome Chinese goodness today!