Stretching our legs took some organising this week due to the wet weather and other commitments.
Dad had been away towards the end of the week so had loads to catch up with. However, we did manage to get to revisit our walk along the River from Dalston to Denton Holme.
Cummersdale Print Works
Our walk starts near the Cummersdale Print Works, between Dalston and Carlisle.
At the rear of the factory and on one side of the path, mum spotted that someone had carefully planted some plants on the top of a rock wall.
I think she called the plants Nastynershums or something like this. Around a dozen piles of earth had been mounded along the top of the wall and in turn the plants given a new home.
The contrast between the bright green leaves and flowers against the grey rock was quite dramatic.
Gate removed
On a previous walk along this path we commented on the no doubt very expensive and over engineered gates that cross our path. It would seem that for a trial period they have, in effect, been made redundant. What a costly waste of money.
The path is now un-obstructed as the swing part of the gate is chained to the nearby fence.
A notice stapled to a nearby sign post indicates that the gates have been removed for a trial period and that any naughty people should be reported to the police.
Escaped gravestone
As our path rose away from river mum spotted in the hedgerows, a number of apple trees and dark red brambles. Mum thought that some of the trees were crab apples as they tasted very bitter.
Behind the cemetery, dad spotted what he initially thought was an escaped gravestone. The marker stone is about 1m high and seems to have some carving on it, possibly a cross shape and some text.
Anyone know what the stone is for and if it is a gravestone why it is outside the walls of the cemetery?
Rubber snakes
Walking from Cummersdale to Denton Holme in Carlisle you spot all sorts of things including two long black snakes.
Smelling very strange and stretched across our path, the black snakes seemed most strange. Dad thought that maybe they were part of a counting device measuring the numbers of bikes using the path. However, he joked to Charlie that they were a doggy speed trap.
At this point Charlie decided he would trot backwards and forwards to see he could run over them without touching them with his paws.
A cooling paddle
Rounding the corner of the former Ferguson Mill, we remembered that we could get a paddle nearby. So, tugging on our leads we pulled mum and dad through the open flood barrier gate and down to the river.
Cool, refreshing and clear, the paddle and drink were ideally timed and much welcomed.
Dad spotted another flood defence ceramic tile artwork as we left the area.
This tile was mounted on the gatepost near to the flood gate.
We are still unsure how many of these ceramic tiles were installed along the new flood defences, but as we spot them we will let you know.
That is all for now
Buster and Charlie