After another week of unsettled weather I spied what appeared to be a weather window during Saturday afternoon which was timed perfectly as I was working Saturday morning in Manchester. It's fair to say I'm really fond of walking during the latter hours of the afternoon, in fact you've probably heard me banging on about it before. My last three walks have all had late starts mainly because the forecast has been better for the afternoon than it had the morning. It hasn't been the best of Summer's for walking and it's got to a point that I'd rather walk chancing some sunshine even it means getting home gone eight most evenings, such the poor Summer we've had.

Although I've walked in other places after a Saturday morning in work I predominently walk the Coniston fells mainly because of access and parking, there isn't many places you can park in Lakeland if arriving mid afternoon and I rarely struggle at Fell Gate due to its large car park where I normally find myself walking 'against the grain' finding most people are heading back to their cars which was certainly the case today noting they looked a little wind swept as was the forecast. I just kind of hoped that the promised sunshine wouldn't let me down.

By the time I had descended onto Goats Hawse the wind was howling over the top of the Col from where I'll start my descent back to Goats Water, it was probably the strongest gust I'd felt all afternoon to an extent where it felt I could have leaned forward into the wind without falling over. With eyes streaming again I quickly made the descent not stopping until Goats Water was reached when I was treated to a sharp and heavy shower.

It's now time to pay another visit to a special four legged Lakeland icon.

On 23rd March 1911 Charmer, a Foxhound from the Coniston Foxhounds along with her pack chased a Fox into Dow Crag 'A Buttress' many of the hounds became crag fast and the hunt left them to it knowing they would soon clear themselves free, all of whom did with the exception of Charmer who could be heard baying through the night and well into the next morning when a local shepherd tending to his flock on the lower sloped heard her cries.

A rescue party was formed amongst the quarry men many of whom are climbers who located Charmer on the 'Gordon and Craig route of A Buttress' It is claimed that Charmer was hungry and still crag fast and was starting to get excited 'frisking about on the ledge' when the search party located her which caused her to miss her footings resulting in Charmer somersaulting twice almost landing at the search parties feet, Charmer died instantly from a broken neck.

Charmer's grave has been uprooted on number of occasions by visitors who saw nothing sacred in the stone sometimes tossing it aside.

The stone now lies in an undisclosed location.

I hadn't passed one person as I took in the mile or so back to Fell Gate which was done with a strong wind behind me. Boo Tarn was reached which is starting to resemble a reed bed rather than a body of water, I fear soon it will be lost altogether. The roofs of the cars started to appear as I left Boo Tarn behind, amongst them, the odd camper van. The wind had subsided slightly but its presence was still felt all the way back to the car, to my left, cloud has started to gather over the summit of Old Man lowering substantially as far as Bursting Stone quarry in places. It's starting to feel much later than it is which can only be put down to the cloud cover and loss of light.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the Lakeland fells had seen the last of any sunshine and are preparing for a stormy night ahead but after thirty minutes of taking this photo I drove through Torver and caught Dow Crag through my rear view mirror glowing under perfect evening sunlight.