Fortitude

When I first started this blip malarkey I stumbled upon 'Arnside and beyond' - a proper journal of bloody good landscape photography and a friendly fellow to boot.

I have long since come to terms with my failings in the landscape department and now leave it to the experts. I have also long since fallen in with the wrong blip crowd and don't pay as much attention to gladders and the others with their patience and compositional skills. Because of blip though the village of Arnside stuck in my mind and, when I saw we were staying no more than 6 or 7 miles away and the sun was coming out, I thought it would make for a cracking family walk.

So we climbed Arnside Knott and created holiday memories.

Milo hated it with a passion, whining continuously and claiming he couldn't walk and that he needed to go on my shoulders. The promise of a balloon at the top halted the tears for at least two minutes before he stumbled over some sharp stones, grazed his knees and resumed bawling.

Tom was stoical but, as I glance over at him on the sofa gazing at 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' with his finger traversing from nostril to mouth with gentle regularity, I think he would've passed given the option.

The things that family holidays are made of.

So thanks for all the tears blip. Thanks a bunch.