Birthdays Walkies

I had the strangest, weirdest Birthday since the one where I had flu at 30..never good. It took 5 miles at least for the anxiety clawing at my chest to shift even a bit, and the used car saleman on steroids battering in my head of worry and fear to shut up and let me listen to the wind, the birdsong, the swoosh of trees and buzzard swoop and soar above the mobbing aarking crows.
So lovely to get away from selfish supermarket raiding, fear inducing news, and worrying about what to do for the best - even for a few hours.  Amazing what clarity I get being outside.

So, a Spring sunshine walk, at least 10 miles by the soreness of my feet, jacket off all day and sunburned nose and face to prove it! Here are some of the photos: to remind me that despite everything nature is beautiful.  That's why I love it, that's what I'm going to miss, and why I've squandered a fiver on leftover potted Mothers' day daffs.. I can't look at bare soil for 12 weeks so they crown my garden with glowing glory.

It wasn't quite the walk I'd planned.  Starting at my parents for an appropriate hand over (by the gilt wrapped ears) of their Lindt Easter Bunny (before I could eat him)  at a distance - Brrr they hadn't had breakfast and it was FREEZING so it was a quick chat, bless them.  Down to Sidmouth (free parking outside their house!) up Peak Hill, lung busting pig that it is.  And out onto the track leading to Mutters Moor.  I wanted to walk to White Cross - but it's forest tracks and churned up tree paths, so the one this spatially challenged mortal took lead down down spiralling for miles, it seemed to Four Elms.  Right at the bottom and it's a horribly busy blind-bend road.  So, being sensible I crossed over and walked to Harpford, across the bridge where the "selfie with bridge" is taken, and the Coleridge placque appears.

Up to Tipton St John and a ploddy road walk back to Sidmouth as the way I wanted was a soggy bog of mud that frankly didn't appeal!  If it's my last escape, it was well worth it.