I'm posting this and will keep adjusting the date if necessary to keep it "pinned" so to speak as a resource for readers who want to learn more about some of the references in AGS.
If you're trying to envision the Baltimore clipper that plays a key part in the book, check these out:
So first things first. Many of you will already know about this because I mentioned it in the beta posting for AGS, but if not, I'm one of a number of authors who has left Austen Authors. This is summarized wonderfully by Katherine Grant, so if you haven't read up on what happened head over to her blog. As I said in my post a while back, I've tended to let my work speak for itself. If you've read my series and particularly if you're in on the AGS beta, you know I value diversity in my stories and I'm looking to bring in even more of it.
The admins have deleted the posts of all of the departed authors. I saved all of my posts before submitting my resignation, however, and will be working to restore them over time to this blog, starting with the first two posts in the Lake District series:
In the first two parts, I had been basing in Far Sawrey, but I then moved on to the charming village of Hawkshead (seriously, I can't wait to share it in a future post). I dropped my bags off and as the weather was still clear but threatening to get worse later in the day, I was eager to get to walking. I stopped off in a National Trust shop first, though, because I wanted to get a trekking pole.
Gentler portion of the walk to Latterbarrow
I have a pair of poles at home but haven't really used them, but I was beginning to see how it could be a good idea. There are two key things the pole does: the first being to ease wear on your joints, because you can use it to help in downhill descents; the second being to use it for balance, for example when crossing a stream on stones. So I bought a pole at the shop, and since I was going out walking, the lady there recommended I walk to Latterbarrow.
The view was already pretty good!
I'm going to be honest, I didn't really realize it was...I won't call it a mountain, but it's a HUGE hill. But as I've said before, I've learned that you get rewarded for uphill climbs in England, so I kept going even when I saw that it was extremely high.
Getting steeper...
...and steeper.
The thing is, the path just kept getting steeper and steeper. I was definitely glad for the trekking pole to give me some extra stability going up, but there was one other problem.
Did I mention I am afraid of heights?
I am afraid of heights. Pretty significantly. And all of a sudden my fear kicked in, and I realized that I wasn't really going to be comfortable going back DOWN on the trail I'd come UP. Which meant I had to cross my fingers and keep going and hope for the best.
I made it, obviously, and I was pretty proud of myself for managing it, particularly since the view was absolutely wonderful, as I'd thought it would be. You can see it's very cloudy, but I found that just made it moodier!
Fortunately there WAS an easier path down on the other side, so I got to enjoy some more views without scaring myself!
Still a moody sky, even at lower elevation!
Love these farm houses, tucked away here.
Another farm.
I'm going to try to stay on a monthly blogging schedule here and I've got so much more Lake District to share, as well as some period cookery I've been engaging in. So I'll see you next month when I share where I walked next after Latterbarrow!
We are having a massive storm in the Washington D.C. area right now, but as I'm on the outskirts of it I was able to capture some video. It's the sort of weather I wrote about the Stantons and Ramseys experiencing in Baltimore: hot, humid weather (it topped 100 degrees here) finally broken by a massive storm.
I wouldn't say it's the most severe storm Georgiana or the naval captains have experienced, given their time at sea, and all of the characters experienced some strange and stormy weather during the Year Without a Summer. But it's not the sort of thing you usually see in more temperate climes like England, so I thought I'd share. Mother Nature is giving us a pretty impressive show!
In my first post in this Lake District series, I wrote about some of the first walks I took, from my base in Far Sawrey. I was blessed with absolutely beautiful weather for my first few days, but hey, it's England...eventually the rain was going to set in. So on my first somewhat rainy day, I decided to walk over to Near Sawrey, which is the site of Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's house, and see the house.
I was decidedly not the only person
who thought the rainy way would be a good idea for this, but fortunately I got
there well before they opened to line up for a timed entry ticket. The house is
much smaller than the great country houses I usually see at the National Trust,
so they have to manage how many people are inside.
Hill Top exterior
I wasn't actually intending to share the house here when I first went in, so I don't have as much multimedia. I'd originally intended my setting within the Lake District to be an old cottage that had been in the Darcy family for some time, but as I started adding up the number of people that might be staying there (plus servants), I started realizing they needed a little "upgrade". So I made it a farmhouse that had become redundant by the combination of two farms, and Hill Top, a 17th century farmhouse, became the perfect model. So now I'm doubly glad I went!
Although I don't have much in the line of multimedia, I do have quite a few photos to share, and I'll be back in next month's post with some more tales of my walks, and walking videos.
You enter into what I would call the kitchen, Potter called the Entrance Hall, and Lakeland farmers would call the firehouse or houseplace. I love that they had a fire going on a rainy day!
Another angle.
Beside the kitchen is this panelled Parlour.
Beside the kitchen is this panelled Parlour.
Spinning wheel and work table in the Parlour.
Up the stairs...
I love the big old four-poster bed in this bedroom.
Bedroom fireplace.
I loved all of the Georgian-era antiques in the house, like this pitcher.
This "Treasure Room" is filled with all sorts of little items.
Including this doll's house; Potter used some of the rooms as models for her illustrations.
I lost my mind a little bit in the Sitting Room because it has an early 19th century Clementi square pianoforte.
Here's some detail of the keyboard.
And the Clementi branding.
One more pianoforte detail, for good measure!
The "New Room" was described by Potter as the library. The room is larger and looks different because it's part of the 1906 portion of the house (Potter actually split the house with her farm manager, who lived in the other portion).
Detail of one of the desks.
The village of Near Sawrey is a charming little place worth some photos as well, and Beatrix Potter fans may recognise some locations:
Cottages and wildflowers.
A longer view leading up to the village inn.
Close-up of the post box.
Close-up of the inn.
Farther-out view of the village.
I'll leave you with a few more animal photos from my walk back from Near Sawrey to Far Sawrey, but first it's worth noting that part of the reason I was able to make many of these walks on this trip was because of Beatrix Potter. During her lifetime, she worked hand in hand with the National Trust and others to see to preservation of Lake District lands, and after her death she donated more than 4,000 acres to the Trust so that it would be preserved. So not only do her books live on, but the land she helped save does, too.
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