HALF WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A huge day for us today - halfway on our fabulous adventure. Mum says she just hopes it's not like the last half of a tank of petrol. That always seems to go faster than the first half!

We left Selside in brilliant sunshine, and that's the way it's stayed all day long.

About 3 miles in, we rejoined The Pennine Way, where mum decided she was too hot and needed to remove her fleece AND her vest - well it is only April. So there she is in all her glory when up round the corner pops a gentleman she had met earlier in the day. I think she managed to retain her modesty, and it turned out that he was from the RSPB out checking on bird life. We had a chat about what might be around to look out for, and he was interested to hear about what we had seen on our travels.

Next, as we were about to cross a bridge (this is the bridge that dad told mum, crossed a 200' chasm, and might be a little unstable, the bridge that she has spent all night worrying about, and the bridge that was about 4' above ground, about 12' long, and made of stone) we came across 2 gentlemen who were cooking their breakfast on gas stoves. They said they were doing the Coast to Coast. They had started at St Bees and were heading for Huddersfield!?

A little further along we came across 3 ladies who were walking The Dales Way - small world, they were from Sheffield.

And then, I told you I thought there was a surprise in store, Auntie Claire and Uncle Will (C&W) with 2 new friends for me, Merlin and Wizard, big beautiful black labradors. We had a little water stop and then walked on. About 6 miles into our days walk, Uncle Will stopped at a cairn (pile of stones to mark the path) and suggested it might be a good place for a photograph. He then produced a bottle of fizzy water (that's what they told me, but I think it was champagne), which they all went wild about - and toasted the halfway mark. How kind is that. Auntie Claire even thought to bring me a little treat to celebrate with.

The weather was still amazing and we had a lovely lunch stop on the top, before heading down the hill and into Hawes. We fulfilled one of dad's little dreams that has been with him since Lands End - a trip to the Wensleydale Creamery for a pot of tea and some fruit cake with Wensleydale cheese.

It was time to say goodbye to these very kind people and my 2 new friends who had a long journey home and we headed off to our B&B for the night. I think there may be more in store.

Over Great Shunner Fell tomorrow and into Keld.

Keep spreading the word.

M
xx