I went for a paddle on Derwentwater yesterday with Mrs Cumbrian and Li'l Cumbrians #1 and #2.
We paddled south from the north end of the lake into a headwind, and as we passed Otterbield Island I saw someone ahead paddling solo, also heading south. We pulled into Victoria Bay ( where the sculpture of the hands is ) as the other paddler rounded the point. Was that anyone on here?
We had a minor disaster as we landed. When the bow of the canoe gently nudged the shingle beach, I got out and started to walk to the front to pull the canoe further up the beach. I'd only taken a couple of steps when the canoe tipped and Mrs Cumbrian and Li'l Cumbrians #1 and #2 fell into the water to varying degrees, with Nathan,2, taking the worst hit. After the crying, drying and recriminations had subsided ( all my fault it seems ), we sat down to our picnic and calm was restored. With the wet clothes drying in the trees, we seemed to have a certain nomad chic, which all the passers-by seemed to notice.
After lunch, I ran around with the kids while Julia relaxed, and then she joined Nathan throwing stones in the lake while I gave Evan a paddling lesson.
It was at this point that Nathan proved that the most unpredictable and quickest off the mark creature in the world is a two year old, as he went from zero to soaked in a millisecond, covering three metres from the dry of the lakeshore to the wet of the lake before Julia could yell "Na.."
After more crying and drying ( curiously no recriminations though, God knows what would have been said if it happened on my watch...), Nathan was happily sat on the mat in my fleece eating Quavers.
Once the first set of clothing was dry, we changed the kids and paddled back to the marina with the wind at our backs, fortunately without incident.
We all had a great day out, and hopefully the first of many this summer.
We paddled south from the north end of the lake into a headwind, and as we passed Otterbield Island I saw someone ahead paddling solo, also heading south. We pulled into Victoria Bay ( where the sculpture of the hands is ) as the other paddler rounded the point. Was that anyone on here?
We had a minor disaster as we landed. When the bow of the canoe gently nudged the shingle beach, I got out and started to walk to the front to pull the canoe further up the beach. I'd only taken a couple of steps when the canoe tipped and Mrs Cumbrian and Li'l Cumbrians #1 and #2 fell into the water to varying degrees, with Nathan,2, taking the worst hit. After the crying, drying and recriminations had subsided ( all my fault it seems ), we sat down to our picnic and calm was restored. With the wet clothes drying in the trees, we seemed to have a certain nomad chic, which all the passers-by seemed to notice.
After lunch, I ran around with the kids while Julia relaxed, and then she joined Nathan throwing stones in the lake while I gave Evan a paddling lesson.
It was at this point that Nathan proved that the most unpredictable and quickest off the mark creature in the world is a two year old, as he went from zero to soaked in a millisecond, covering three metres from the dry of the lakeshore to the wet of the lake before Julia could yell "Na.."
After more crying and drying ( curiously no recriminations though, God knows what would have been said if it happened on my watch...), Nathan was happily sat on the mat in my fleece eating Quavers.
Once the first set of clothing was dry, we changed the kids and paddled back to the marina with the wind at our backs, fortunately without incident.
We all had a great day out, and hopefully the first of many this summer.
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