(My view in Ambleside, Lake District, from the top of a fell that we ran up on a whim)

We’re still coming down from the mountaintop (literally!) that was our relaxing holiday in Yorkshire and Cumbria this past weekend. Not only did it provide the requisite number of walks through hill and vale (and under waterfall), but the privacy of our cozy Airbnb attic apartment also enabled Luke to finish his thesis revisions in the evenings. It was a walking-working holiday of the best kind. He sent his revisions off on our final day in Cumbria and received the email the next day that they’d been accepted and his degree papers had officially been sent in to the graduation office. However official it was three weeks ago, it’s really official now. Hurrah! Now I’m convinced that our best hope of being productive workers in life is to live somewhere out in the countryside with internet on just one computer (I got so much writing done since I intentionally didn’t connect to our host’s wireless), and to maintain a balance of hours worked with hours hiked.

(one thing I thought I’d like to do in the Lake District was try a little fell running. I’d seen a documentary about the Greatest of Them All, Joss Naylor, whose now in his 80s and still running. However, one breathless attempt at one fell taught me I was no match for those hills. Instead, I contented myself with pouring over this fascinating book about the legend who ran 72 Lake District mountains in 24 hours (!!).)
(In the midlands, bluebells carpet the woodland floor this time of year…

…in contrast with Yorkshire, where it’s wild garlic as far as the eye can see and the nose can smell. If pictures had smells!)

(all the villages in the Dales had these colorful banners strung between the buildings for upcoming festival days — I loved how storybook they looked.)

(the previous shot is from Hawes, home of the Wensleydale Creamery. Fans of Wallace & Gromitt will recognize Wallace’s favorite cheese, which we had the pleasure of tasting. The Kit Calvert was my favorite.)

(and finally, this picture, because although it was one of six pitiful attempts at a decent selfie, it captured one heck of a good moment.)

A few more things:

This letter from a former slave to his former master. What a statement!

Coal miners-turned-painters? It’s our evening’s entertainment tonight and it’s meant to be good.

Is it time author events at bookstores got a revamp? Matthew Dicks gives four things he would change.

Have a great weekend!