fells – fiber and sustenance

Why hi! Hello there! It’s been awhile!

It’s hard to believe but just over a week ago, I sent off my Ph.D. dissertation! It felt so odd and exhilarating to press the send button and be faced with ten glorious days of limbo before I fly to the US for a conference and then my formal Ph.D. defense, which will be the official conclusion of my seven years (!) in graduate school.

As a little surprise, Mr. N took me away for a few days last week to the South Lakes where we could enjoy a bit of a break and the last days of summer in the Northwest. We fit a lot into three days, but one of my favorite bits was hiking up the Old Man of Coniston, which is a large fell on the west side of Coniston Water. It dominates the landscape, and we had beautiful views from the spot we were married, which is on the east side of Coniston Water. We’ve both wanted to go up it ever since.

Continue reading “Coming up for air: a walk up the Old Man of Coniston”

Hi friends! How was your weekend?

We had glorious weather yesterday — the result of a much talked about heatwave (initially, I was skeptical, but it did get warm … even hot!). And, as luck would have it, we had plans to meet up with two good friends for a bit of a ramble. Originally, we had our sights set on Ingleborough, but with weather so nice, we knew lots of people would have the same idea. So we opted instead for a bit of walking among the fells in South Lakeland, outside the small village of Barbon.

A beautiful walk on a sunny day sounds perfect in almost any situation. But add to it that it’s spring, and the ewes were out with their lambs in the fields, and I was as pleased as could be.

Continue reading “Springtime Rambling”