Cracking on

It was back on Tuesday that I mentioned all the offers of help I have been receiving and that I expected Doug and David to come over to discuss the Lions Christmas activities.  Come over they did, and then spent nearly an hour working in the garden, much to my embarrassment.  Thankfully I am so much better now that the steroids are working that I can truthfully tell Doug that I can take care of the grass cutting myself.

We have made progress with the Christmas arrangements (and yes, I am well aware that Thanksgiving comes first but if we don't crack on it will be the New Year before anything gets sorted).  We know that we will have about 15 guests from a retirement home where we organise bingo evenings, the meals on wheels people will be able to get 30 or so together and I have made tentative enquiries at a sheltered accommodation home for the remaining 15 places.  Minibuses and drivers are provisionally booked  and the entertainer and hotel are confirmed.  Nearly there!

It helps that I am at last able to get back to my main computer and - almost as important - the printer.  After three or four weeks an amazing backlog has built up but I am now slowly working my way through the paper.

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While I'm here, a brief rant on my favourite hobby-horse - the mis-use of the English language, especially by those who should know better.

An advertisement in the newspaper extolled the "visual dramatics" (whatever they might be) of Vietnam.

A television programme covered an attempt by severely disabled soldiers to climb Mount Everest but the commentary insisted on numerous occasions that they were attempting "to summit" the mountain.  I've just checked the dictionary and am pleased to report that "summit" is still a noun (or it was when the dictionary was compiled) and has not yet morphed into an adjective.

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We move north today for our bridge picture - north to Cumbria and the Lake District.  There is a narrow road runs up into the hills (or fells, as they are called up there) from the Derwentwater-Borrowdale road, leading to the hamlet of Watendlath and nowhere else.  Along the way the road crosses a stream at Ashness Bridge, providing one of the best-known views of the area.  That is Derwentwater in the picture with the slopes of Skiddaw behind.