Adventure Awaits

Thank you for all the lovely comments this week, thoughtful, funny and kind.

I've noticed that my desire to be in the hills is directly proportional to my need to get dull things done. A glorious early start to the day made me hanker for being out and not prepping course notes, and so I found myself dressed in hill clothes, with a flask and a pooch, heading west. As the sky dulled our enthusiasm soared. The mountains were calling and we had to go.
Neither pooch nor I are even vaguely approaching hill capable at present, yet we both made our own little noises of glee as we parked at Mardale Head.

Steep is a problem for pooch, rough could be a problem for me, so we ambled and wandered. The path with it's sheen of bullet hard black ice was abandoned, with us both off the lead we made our way slowly upwards across the rough fell ground, vaguely in the direction of Small Water.
We love Pushka to bits but huskies are hard work. Strong and fast, even now, and fiercely independent, P has only in these latest of years been able to be off the lead, but it's a joy to see. She is fearful of some ground now, worried she'll fall I guess, but determinedly finds her own way (see extra). Sometimes she'll even take a bit of advice, might listen to a "this way", but best of all she still likes to lay across my lap when we stop to stare.
I wasn't quite as amused when she tried to use me as a bridge when I took today's main blip.

On our return (P is now a big fan of downhill) I was asked for some advice by a lovely well equipped older couple hoping to get high enough for snow. We ended up chatting for ages as the gentleman was celebrating 3 years post full ankle replacement, he'd not been able to have my op. He confirmed he can ski, hill walk and climb, but no running or ice climbing. Sadly whilst he has function the pain has never gone away. An ankle is a cruel but vital joint it seems.

Philosophy Friday
Live life as if someone left the gate open...