All was well. We had mugs of our favourite Ramblears tea in paw, and Grizzly had just opened the cake tins.
"I've made Chorley cakes, and Little Eric has done chocolate coated flapjack."
"Ooh lovely", cheered Allen, who promptly took one of each, closely followed by Southey.
"Ha", laughed Tetley. "You two are the real cake stuffers", as he just took a Chorley cake.
Southey then produced a tin. "I've made sultana scones, and there is butter and raspberry jam to spread on them."
"Oh pal, thank you", cried Shaun. "You are ace at scones. I know they will be delicious."
So there was quiet for a while as we enjoyed our cakes and tea. Then Little Eric said, "Dad has been so busy in September, such that there was not any days to put aside for a walk with Uncle Eric and we only managed one just with Dad."
By now Allen had had his fill of cakes, asking Shaun, "can I have a refill of tea."
"Sure pal, here you are."
"Thanks." Then he picked up the iPad and navigating to the diary said, "there are two possible days down to walk with Uncle Eric this week. Wednesday or Thursday."
"What are the weather prospects?", Tetley asked.
"Looks like Wednesday is the best. A dry day. There is rain forecast for Thursday."
"So where to go?", mused Southey.
"I think that Uncle Eric still had a few suggestions", replied Grizzly. "I know for a fact that one of them he gave to Dad a while ago. It starts in Carnforth, follows the canal to Bolton le Sands, then along a narrow road and then paths to emerge near Thwaite House. The return is across the fields to Back Lane and into Carnforth."
"Well worth doing", replied Shaun. "We have the section from Bolton le Sands will be new, but we have done that to Back Lane etc., in the opposite direction on the walk we started from Nether Kellet."
"Well, we will just have to see what transpires when Dad speaks to Uncle Eric", said Little Eric.
It was the walk Grizzly had alluded to that we did today. The actual start was from Carnforth Station, but according to Uncle Eric it seems that the car park machine only operates with an app. As neither Dad or Uncle Eric have a smart phone the decision was taken to start from the lay-by on the A6 between Bolton le Sands and Carnforth where the mobile cafe is.
As we made our way there, Grizzly said, "do you remember what Uncle Brian used to say about Dad's mobile phone?"
"Oh yes", laughed Allen. "He said it was so old that the numbers were in Roman!"
"That's right", chuckled Tetley, "He also used to ask Dad if he had ordered the coal, because the phone being so old he reckoned it was steam driven."
We arrived first, but it was not many minutes before Uncle Eric arrived. Our pals Barnaby and Lee went to say hello.
"Nice to see you Uncle Eric", said Lee.
"Oh hello lads. Good to see you all too."
While Dad got his boots on we settled ourselves in the rucksack. This shouldered Shaun said, "we join the towpath of Lancaster Canal by bridge 126 and walk south."
You will note that whilst it was a bright and quite sunny day it was windy, evidenced by the ruffled surface of the canal.
As we proceeded towards Bolton le Sands there were houses adjacent to the towpath, with mature woodland on the far side,
"How far do we go along the canal?", asked Little Eric.
"To bridge 123", replied Southey.
Here Uncle Eric can be seen climbing the worn steps after the passage of countless feet, to the road.
Before we followed, Tetley called out, "that barge approaching might make a nice picture through the bridge."
Now it was down the main street of the village, immediately passing this house built in 1855.
"According to the walk we will pass the Packet Boat Inn", commented Allen.
"I don't see it" replied Southey.
"That's because it must have closed", replied Dad. "I think it was that large white building." He went on, "long ago this was the main road, until the bypass that is the A6 was built."
"When was that?", asked Southey.
Grizzly piped up. "I have the answer, it was 1928."
Coming to the junction by the Catholic Church, Little Eric called out, "look there's the wall post box. It is old dating from the reign of King George V."
"Turn left here", said Uncle Eric and take the left fork."
Huh", laughed Dad, "I wish I had a pound for every time I came along that road. It was part of the route Nigel and I used to get to and from work in Kendal."
"That's a very old house" pointed Shaun. Then peering he said, "the date stone indicates it was built in 1665."
Later Grizzly looked it up, and told us, "this is Hawkshead Farmhouse, and is Grade 11* listed. It is likely one of the earliest houses in the village. In fact it is one of 36 such listed structures in Bolton le Sands."
Following the lane that leads to Nether Kellet we came to the school and here Uncle Eric said, "we branch left along Mount Pleasant Lane."
"We have never walked along here before", commented Allen.
Narrow with hedges either side and intermittently passing through woods it climbed steadily to come to a crossroads.
When the view opened out to the left, Tetley pointed, "those trees on the far side of the field will make a nice shot."
At the crossroads Shaun said, "I know where we are. We have come to these along the lane to the right, and we kept on left through the woods to emerge on the road by the canal."
"Oh yes", agreed Grizzly. "That was on the walk where we started from Nether Kellet."
Uncle Eric then said, "Our route is right."
The lane led us past some houses where opposite stands this wooden statue.
"I'd like to think it is a bear, but honestly it is a dog", said Little Eric.
"Well, we can pretend it's a bear", replied Tetley.
The lane led on and on becoming a rough track once past the houses, and coming to two metal gates and a sheep pen, where the farmers were giving their flock a pedicure. He offered to cut Dad's nails!! lol.
Between the gates another group of sheep were waiting for their turn, so Dad and Uncle Eric were careful not to let them escape when they opened the gate.
As we walked on, Allen said, "Dad must be slipping. For the life of me I cannot understand why he did not photograph the sheep."
"Oh yes, pal", replied Southey.
"I am delighted and means we are likely to get a sheep picture free story", cheered Allen.
Beyond the route became a narrow path between tall hedges, leading to a gate into a large field, where we walked uphill to get the view, and coming to a cross path.
"Ahh this is on the route of the walk from Nether Kellet", said Southey. "We descend left to the kissing gate and then by the fence to a corner."
There he went on, "now go right and in a few yards over the stile right and then diagonally across the field skirting right of that line of trees to another stile onto a track."
There Shaun took up the directions. "Turn right little way then it is left through the hedge gap over the waymarked double stile."
This took us into a large field where we could survey our route ahead.
Tetley said, "we skirt the hedge corner, then find the awkward stile in the hedge at the far side. Once through cross the next field dropping right of a rise to the awkward ladderstile through the hawthorn hedge on the right."
Here it was straight across to a small gate onto Back Lane, there turning left to its junction with the Kellet Road.
As we passed the bungalows, and seeing a seat, Southey said, "that's a good place to sit for our picture."
"Quite right pal", replied Allen. "We have to appear in every story after all."
Turning left at the junction we continued to cross the footbridge and rejoin the canal following the towpath through Carnforth passing the marina where today there were not very many barges moored.
The towpath was followed back to the start and on the way we saw these swans and cygnets, the latter soon to no longer be ugly ducklings.
They came over to our side of the canal, then followed their parents line astern towards Carnforth.
"That was an enjoyable walk in lovely countryside", said Grizzly. "Thanks for suggesting it and for your company as always Uncle Eric."
"You are welcome lads."
