This is from a couple of years back. A two hour car drive to the west side of Northern England. The Lake District. A place that sometimes feels just a little bit Alpine.
We stopped off at Castlerigg Stone Circle. One of the countries finest historic sites set amongst the countries highest mountains. It’s was erected in the Neolithic period. Sometime around 3000BC. Yes even before I was born. It’s one of those special places. Yes it’s popular picnic site now but it still has an atmosphere. It just feels different. Many years ago after a days climbing, I spent the night here. Just sat on the ground in the middle of the circle. I’m not sure why. Maybe waiting for a ghost or something. Didn’t see anything but when I walked away after sunrise, I had never felt so calm and relaxed. It’s that type of place. I could so imagine a great fantasy author coming here for inspiration.
What struck me about the second photo is the look on my two faithful companions. New visitors had just arrived at the site. The four legged one, I suspect was eagerly checking them out for food or toys. The young boy was definitely not so eager. Once the site started to fill up a little then it was most definitely time to go. Crowds and Aspergers are not great bedfellows. That’s why the time to visit places is such a delicate scheduling task. The choices tend to be
- Go when the weather is bad,
- Go just before they are closing,
- Arrive super early. Try to get round before the masses start to arrive.
As a result visits tend to be fleeting. They also sometimes require really early starts. In this case we set off at 5am. That’s not ideal but needs must. One definite advantage. Nothing better as you drive away from a site and passing the traffic queues waiting to get in. Does that thought make me a bad person….
Oh yes, a truly terrible person 😜.
Your son is an exceptionally handsome kid, very northern, perfectly dark and broody looking lad x.
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That’s the way. x
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I do not like crowds either and try to avoid at all costs also.
The only times I am willing to deal with crowds is for Disney and 4th of July ❤️
But I wouldn’t go to Disney right now, not yet… and the 4th will probably be cancelled? … I wouldn’t do either one of those crowds at this very moment!
And I do that same thing when I drive … when I go to work I go the opposite way than the traffic… same thing coming home lol … I look over and think thank god that is not me 😄✌️
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Yes plenty of stuff might open but not sure that many will decide to go this year. 😀
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Well some do not have the same fear. Some still go because the crowds be less because of those who do fear.
I kind of like the restrictions they have making crowds less… but I am also still aware of a killer virus lol
Some just aren’t fearful. Just depends on the views of that person I guess. How they see things. How safe they feel.
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I do. It’s a mistake lifting some of these ideas.
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I agree
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🙏
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Beautiful site. I think I have been isolated too long because I start to feel anxious to go home when we’re somewhere with a lot of people or too much going on around me. I relized this when we took our vehicle in to the dealership. Music, people the t.v. blaring. When I told Andrew that everything was too much he said to me, would you like to go sit outside? Yes! So we did. That’s happened to me at the beach before too. I’m kind of impossible that way. I like to get out, but too much makes me appreciate home. So really I just need to get out enough that home is wonderful. 😀
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I know that feeling. I had to work at being aborted to be with people. That’s lost now. It’s going to take a real effort to recover sone of that. We often drive miles to these sites, spend just a few minutes there and then come back home. 😀
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I feel that way too. So definitely not bad!
I hope that things settle down enough for you guys to go exploring again.
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Thank you. Yes a few day trips would do us both good.
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It’s just a matter of time!
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I drove my husband crazy getting up at o’darkthirty to beat the masses. I’ve never liked crowds. It was especially annoying when our children’s activities put them in every parade the town had and the entire town turned out! UGH! A mother’s sacrifice. 😀 😀
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We turn round now if crowds are there. Only difference is he will put up with a crowd at a footy match or a rock concert. But he’s on edge with them.
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If you’re bad, I’m bad with you.😉 A place like that… spiritual… needs solitude to fully appreciate anyway.
One of my favorite pictures of me was on a family trip to the Redwoods when I was 12 or so. I’m sitting off by myself in the middle of a small clearing, just sitting.
I’ve always hated crowds and noise. Except political rallies back in the day, an concerts any time.💌
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I would always be found as a kid sat in fairy rings. Thinking about it that’s kinda Jim Morrison territory. x
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You could never be bad..gosh it’s stunning country there …What a beautiful way to spend the day……We cope with what we can and sensitives can’t handle crowds. ♥️💚💜
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It’s such a relief to find a place empty. If it’s busy we just turn round now. x
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Wow. Your dog is so cute!!! 💕
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And very cheeky.
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Cute and cheeky is the best combo!
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It is.
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😊
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🙏
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No, that thought does not make you a bad person. Not at all! Great photos btw.
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Thank you
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I saw the solar eclipse at Castlerigg back in almost 3000 BC 😅 it is indeed a very special place
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That must have been awesome. Surprised it wasn’t raining. 😀
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It was too cloudy to see the eclipse properly but still very atmospheric 🤣
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I bet the A66 was still busy then…….
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As always
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🙏😀
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The early bird’s reward
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It really is a reward these days.
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It looks like a nice adventure! 🙂
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It was lovely. It’s great to visit these really old sites.
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Not bad at all – that is what I do too. Or we go places when it is raining and we know no one else is going to be there. It looks lovely as well. I can see why you slept there one night! That must have been quite an experience!
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It was. Just a bit cold. It’s such a relief to find a place empty these days.
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It makes you a very good person. AND a timeless place like this is best seen sans crowds.
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It so is. Picnics don’t seem to go with a 3000BC monument.
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They don’;t. But see your moment where you wanted to sit there all night, so you did??? That does.
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Something about old sites
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The stones speak. They have their own measure of the world.
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They do. They have seen more life than us.
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Oh indeed they have. Read a very good blog post that way earlier…just about all the things they have witnessed.
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Wouldn’t you just want to find out a fraction of what they had seen
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Oh God, yes.
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I bet they have seen stuff science can’t explain.
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Where some of these stones are concerned you can forget ‘the science’. And frankly, some folks and govs right now could do with learning to do the same.
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Those stones aren’t driving 300 miles to Durham during lockdown
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They just maybe weren’t ‘ guided’ by it….. Especially when it suits them……
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Only when it suits them. xx
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Abso my friend. x
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I am at the point when I far preferred the WHO when they talked about their generation…
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I so know what you mean.
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xxxx
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It looks amazing ❤️
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It is a great place x
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Amazing photos. I hope you get to return in person!
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I so hope so. Thank you
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We’ve had the same mentality when visiting places. Crowds mean lines, and lines mean waiting, and waiting isn’t fun for any child at all. Your companion reminds me very much of Blondie, who will stay close when other people are around, whilst Bash will just introduce himself and ask impertinent questions of anyone. (“Who are you? Are you old? Why does your nose look like that?”) Biff will simply follow his own tracks, telling stories to himself, not a care in the world for who’s around him.
In other words: kids make any day out odd. xxxxxxxxx Hope you and your companions are well today. I’m hoping to get the kids to the park before a week of storms is supposed to meander on through here…
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I so hope you get to the park. It will do you good as well. Will you get more trips to the cabin soon. Storms don’t sound good at all. Yes he is definitely one who hides behind me or the nearest tree. That’s who they are. We learn to work round these things. Hope your smiling my friend xxxxxxx
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Sure am. And you take care of yourself, too. Your little guy looks up to you. xxxxxxx
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Not anymore he’s edging passed my height now…… We will my friend. Keep smiling and so hope the writing is flowing. xxxxxxxxxx
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Oh, the growth spurts! Blondie’s as tall as many adults, and the girl’s only 10. They grow far too fast for us. Keep finding those reasons to smile! xxxxxxxx
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Your tall as well aren’t you. So I guess you might have a few more years of being taller than me. Average height hasn’t got much chance against someone who was in the 97th percentile for height at 8. I will and I so hope you will. xxxxxxxxx
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Ha! Quite true. Yeah, I’m already tall–one of those who shot up a good foot in elementary school. Blondie’s almost a head taller than anyone else her age. My sister-in-law joked she can just give Blondie her hand-me-downs, since Blondie’s the same height. Fine by me–way less clothes shopping! 🙂
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Sadly my slightly stocky frame won’t fit his long and thin body. Anything that saves money is great i our books.
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Yeah, my husky self doesn’t really cater to kid hand me downs, either. Ah well.
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That’s why we keep wearing our old clothes until they just fall apart. It’s a fetching look. x
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Yes, we are a motley crew! 🙂
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It’s that ‘lived in’ look.
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And we hope to do a few more small escapes before the snow falls. Can’t make any more definite plans than that! 🙂
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Well that’s something to hold on to. I really hope you do. xx
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