Wednesday 19th January - I guess it had to happen at some time!

Had planned to have a lazy-ish day finishing installing the pump on the sea kayak and kneeling mats in the canoe, but a text pinged in just after 9. Liz was looking for somebody to run the Leven and given the amount of rain down over the weekend it would have been churlish to refuse!

A quick run to the shops (under instructions to produce tea for three), TP for a big tin of full-fat EvoStick and a walk with the boys left me just enough time to chuck my kit in the car, boat on the roof and make Newby Bridge for 11.

Surprisingly the flood relief gates were open so we (Liz, Sally & yours truly) jumped on the magic roundabout and off we went. And all went swimingly well, right up to my line under Backbarrow Bridge...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njpC_XHQ_Mk

Way too far right and not pointing anywhere near left - no wonder I ended up in the boily mess under the bridge. No excuse for missing 2 rolls either, other than desperately trying to grab my new camera which was wedged into my BA pocket - succesfully as the video and photos prove!

Liz attacking her line below the big weir

Sally styling it all the way

A lovely run in the sunshine with plenty of water; can we have lots more please?

Back home the canoe received its new kneeling mats and the dogs got another quick blast over Birkrigg before I sorted my kit and got tea for three on the stove... the sea kayak pump can wait until another day!

Walney 1 windfarm from Birkrigg

Tuesday 18th January - you never know what'll turn up...

A day PAT testing a holiday rental cottage in a little village (very little!) in the south Lakes. Not a bad way to spend a day, driving out through early mist with glimpses up towards Coniston and the like; the dogs in the back looking forward to a walk somewhere different...

BUT - the highlight of the day was the beck by the roadside, nothing more than a couple of metres wide for the most part but with sudden height loss of around 15 metres in a continuous series of twisting rocky steps.

We need another paddler happy to throw a line and pull me out, plenty of rain and the mill-owner to (preferably) be somewhere else at the time. Or none of the above and a gullible probe.

Volunteers know how to contact me...

Sunday 16th January - Duddon hangover cure

How I managed to sort and pack my kit, let alone put it all on remains a mystery still. However, a thorough system clear-out before leaving home, followed by a power yawn all over the river bank, saw five of us setting off from the phone-box put in to pootle down a good medium level Duddon.

With a couple of swims, a boat-to-boat throwline tow out of a stopper and a boat chase and recovery, it was an interesting run and much enjoyed by all. Even the sun came out to play for 20 minutes as we changed to head home.

"9:30 at Greenodd" will be a regular diary fixture for a while I think, although leaving the hangover behind (thanks Ken, hope that you had a good birthday!) and remembering to take the camera would be an improvement for next time....

Saturday 15th January - Trouble walking, never mind sailing!

The planned christening of the canoe sailing rig on Coniston has been shelved yet again. 30-40 mph SW winds meant that we could barely walk the dogs on Birkrigg this afternoon, let alone manage the canoe!

Never mind, the rivers are full and it's still raining with kayaking on the cards tomorrow (subject to the after effects of Ken's birthday party tonight!)

Saturday 8th January - Sunshine and water!?!

What a very welcome surprise - despite the low temperatures and snow yesterday, overnight rain brought the Kent up to a decent paddlable level. My first trip with Ian & Ray, local open boaters and a delight paddling under blue skies with enough water to make the trip fun...

Below Burneside

Abbott Hall surf wave

Sunday January 2nd - Ice with that ma'am?

First outing of the New Year and, surprisingly the sun shone! Open boating on flat water isn't the warmest of activities but at least we were paddling; the boys and the crews of the many racing yachts searching for a breeze on Windermere were not, so I suspect they we rather chillier than us!

From Millerground across to the Lilies of the Valley was straightforward enough, but rounding the islands was a no-go. The entire passage was closed by 1 1/2" thick ice so it was a quick about face, past the cormorant's loo (dead trees where a flock regularly roost on Lady Holme) and off to Blackwell for a brew and a bun.

Dougal and Bruce weren't sure about making a break for the beach...

It really doesn't feel like 15 months ago that I last posted to this blog, way back in October 2009.

It has been such a busy time, packing in what sometimes feels like an endless series of training and assessment courses, building on past experiences and soaking up ideas, approaches and philosophies from a number of inspirational people along the way. My Dallam course finished with a fantastic sea kayaking trip along the west coast of Scotland and all the efforts paid off when my certificate landed on the doormat. Almost immediately I was offered a contract to work the summer at Dallam Outdoors which again led to my meeting some top people and learning heaps more about delivering adventure and development to the kids we worked with.

Sue and I enjoyed a fortnight paddling around the Elaphite Islands of Croatia in late summer and continue to paddle and wander around the Lakes and other places. The dogs continue to entertain us while the children do what all the best of them do; give us cause for concern, regularly attack the bank balance and live their lives completely oblivious to any stress that they inflict!

Anyways, here we go, into 2011 with every intention of returning to post more regularly and keep this insight into my world going. I hope that you have as much fun as I hope to!

Sunday 18th October - Return to the scene of the crime

A late afternoon blast on the Consiton Fells to shake off a few cobwebs and so that Sue could put a few miles into her new boots. It seemed like a good idea to revisit the cwm under Brim Fell Rake where Dugal spent a happy few hours thinking about sunshine, food and other happy thoughts last February!

A good choice - we only saw three other people once we got into the walk, and not a soul once on the ridge and over the Old Man. Super views over Coniston towards Ulverston and Morecombe Bay, arriving back at the car just as the light went. The verdict? Sue is happy with her boots and Dugal enjoyed his tea, as did Bruce; both collapsed into their baskets on arriving home. Not unlike Sue and I really...

Thurs & Fri 15th / 16th October

Lots of First Aid and Incident Management stuff, broken limbs, shock, blood and gore everywhere. Just another typical few days at Dallam...

Having spent a half day going through much of the REC2 course syllabus it was off into the woods where there were plenty of casualties waiting for us (and a party of primary school kids and staff looking very concerned). Coming across a climber with a broken fib & tib and his badly shocked partner was pretty straightforward - until the rockface that he'd fallen from began to collapse around us. It's surprising how quickly priorities change: a quick pick through our kit and an improvised stretcher (bivvy bag) appeared for a quick and dirty evacuation, followed by some "linear origami" resulting in a full-on stretcher from a 50m climbing rope. Padding this out with a couple of Karrimats and co-opting another couple of climbers and we were off for a brew in no time.

Friday was a wet one. Literally. Pinned kayaks, broached canoes, entrapped paddlers; you name it, we hummed it. The last set-up, sprung as a complete surprise, involved a pinned canoe, a paddler crushed between it and the rocks above an undercut, vertical bank. On the far bank from where we were working.

I reckon that getting the paddler out of the entrapment, assessed, splinted, onto a "stretcher", assessed again and moved to safety inside 20 minutes was no mean feat. Certainly faster than the ambulance would have arrived and entertaining for the dog-walkers at Devil's Bridge. Hopefully I'll never have to do it for real, but it's good to know that the tools are in the box.

Monday 12th October - Irony or what?

Well, quite a day. Back into work after 7 weeks off following my hernia op, all ready for the RTW interview followed by handing in THAT letter. Sadly it was not to be; no Nigel, no Richard so it by that most impersonal means - email - that I tendered my letter of resignation to HR. Oh well I could have sent it in by text! I'll look forward to talking with the guys when they are back at t'mill.

Now, none of that is partcularly ironic I hear you mutter. How about this then: I've been watching what I eat over the past few weeks. Not going mad and certainly not abstaining totally from chocolate so, when I stepped on the scales this evening, I was more than chuffed to see that I've dropped getting on for half a stone. Still short of where I want to be but well chuffed! Then as I bent over to pick up a towel, the arse of my jeans let rip, opening up just like a burst banana, right across my right cheek. I blame it on my wallet...

If exercise isn't the answer, try snoozing in a sweatsuit

(or under a pair of terriers!)