It’s been a busy month. A trip to the Lake District, hiking, paddling and wild swimming. Despite the heat, and my never ending attempts to stop the plants in my garden from dying, I’ve been out enjoying the summer this month.
Here’s a round up of some adventures over the past month:
Exploring the Lake District
We couldn’t wait to get back to the Lake District ever since we visited in the van last year. It felt like a no brainer to get away there again, with so much left to explore. Our trip lasted 7-days. A week of wandering around like nomads, pretending to fit in with the other van lifers who make this kind of travel their life.
There’s a tainted beauty in not knowing where you will call home each night. Just letting intuition and curiosity lead you until you find somewhere to spend a night under the stars.
We kept busy over the week. An impromptu hike up Skiddaw got me reflecting on the joys of not having any plans, and the sunshine was enough of an excuse to get out onto the water. We spent days wild swimming and paddle boarding under the sun.
Check out all the photos from the trip on my Flickr Account
Reading in Unwilded Places
I recently bought Alastair Humphreys new book Unwilded. Exploring moderns societies disconnection from nature and the shifting baseline syndrome which is causing us to not even notice as our wild spaces vanish.
It felt fitting to try and use reading this book as a way to make sure I spent more time outdoors. So I’ve done just that. Deciding to only read the book when I’m down at my local nature reserve, overlooking the lily pond and listening to the birds as I read.
I’ve been reading a chapter at a time whilst out on dog walks and have found being outdoors has really helped to reflect on the messages Al puts across in his writing.
Exploring Local Places
I spent a hazy Sunday afternoon this month having an explore of some of the local villages which surround me. Starting off with a walk through the countryside, I parked up in a random nearby village and just picked a trail that would take me out into the surrounding fields. It was only a couple of miles, but with no idea where I was going it was filled with discovering new little places and seeing my local landscape like I hadn’t before.
On the way home I then stopped into the neighbouring village for a (less wild but just as interesting) walk around their Yarn Bomb. Hundreds of knitted and crocheted decorations and sculptures had been spread across the village green, with plenty of families out enjoying the fun. This year also featured a full street of climate action specific designs to help raise awareness for Climate Action Leicester.
Harvesting the Garden
I’ve been incredibly lazy with growing any fruit or veg in the garden this year. I did manage to get a few things in though, mainly some potted potatoes and a little herb garden.
There wasn’t much to harvest, but I did end up with enough to enjoy a weeks worth of fresh potato salad.
When I find myself with free time that isn’t spent outdoors, I usually end up reading or watching other people spend their time outside.
Last year Youtube Adventurer Ed Pratt travelled the length of the River Thames without leaving the water. You can enjoy a couple of hours of videos across his Youtube series Source to Sea.
This short film from North Face about an impairment climbing festival.
Half of UK adults say they spend less than three hours a week outside in nature.
So here’s some ways you can spend time in nature in your garden.
Exploring Lake Islands
We were guilty of giving into the Aldi special buy middle isle last month and decided on a whim we really needed a paddle board. I’m not entirely sure why, because I’ve only tried it once and couldn’t stand up for more than 10 seconds without falling in.
It did come with a little strap on seat though, so I thought I could at least use it as a little kayak to do some exploring whilst we were in the Lake District.
Whilst spending a couple of days down near Coniston Water, I decided to paddle out to Peel Island. Drifting into a secret harbour, away from prying eyes on the far shore, to explore what would have otherwise been out of arms reach. It made for a beautiful spot to bathe in the lake, occasionally giving in to childlike temptation and jumping in from the rocky edge.
There was a serene joy from cruising out on the water, usually alone. It presented a new way to explore places I wouldn't have normally had the chance too, and it almost has a nostalgic charm of our ancestors who would have set sail to go and discover new places.
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