July 10, Keswick around Derwentwater

The eleven mile walk around Derwentwater (the lake) is a must do, so I did it.  I selected a route that included a climb up to Cat Bells because, I thought, "Let's get some altitude in today."  The route was pretty, varied, and pleasant, but it was hot.  When I realized how steep the climb up to the summit was (1480 feet, unshaded) I did a Google search and upon reading, "There is a two hand scramble near the top," I abandoned that plan in a flash.  Of course, one is ALWAYS rewarded with a great view for the effort, but, despite the cuteness of the name and the promise of glory, that was not a significant lure pour moi.  There was a low level Cat Bells route, so I opted for that.  Toward its end, there was an option "to summit" without the scramble and all. The sign read,"One mile, 55 minutes."  Can you imagine what that ascent would be like?  I'll leave it for this guy:

Low level Cat Bells path:

The views of Derwentwater were hardly shabby:

Down at the lake:

Three plank bridge with two guardrails:

Beautiful moss and ferns in the woods:

Navigating the beach:

Fun for everyone:

After finishing the circuit,  I changed my shoes and pack, got an ice cream, did the Daf, Connections, made some headway on the Spelling Bee and then headed on over to the Pencil Museum.  On a previous walk, I stayed in Keswick and remembered really enjoying this museum.  

Supposedly, this is how graphite was discovered:

And here is some important information:

Sorry, not able to edit the photos!  

There was a major section devoted to the valuable-ness of graphite; there was a time when it was worth more than gold!  This is the truth.  If you ever go to this museum, your respect for a #2 will increase immeasurably.

Other than what all goes into making a pencil, the most fascinating exhibit had to do with Charles Fraser Smith (Even though I am avoiding Wikipedia these days, it does seem to be a good source for in this case.)  Also. there is a podcast The Gadget Master, which I have not yet listened to yet that), who figured out a way to get maps inside a pencil for use during WWII.  

I wonder if this still holds true

This guy, Alex  Morales,  ran the 2018 London marathon (in 3:40) dressed as a......you guessed it....

The thing is, he had never run in the costume before the race because he did ot want people to seem him so attired.

Now, THIS pencil is one of of only two.  The other was given to QE II on her diamond jubilee.  The place of the eraser is taken by a crown studded with diamonds, and the pencil was made very special and all, with the finest graphite available and using traditional techniques, as you might expect.

It was a high humidity scorcher today, so it was good that exertion was low level...maybe 14 miles all together, but not hard.