Romans

 

I did it! 4.9 miles walked over a day, around tesco, along the beach with a friend, has taken me over the virtual finish line and I have my virtual certificate.  The much more real medal will arrive at some point.

It has been a great way of ensuring I get a walk each day - some days more than others! It's given me a bit of fun looking at the APP and remembering the real wall, the camaraderie, the bruising 18 mile finishing leg which was done in hot sun and the delicious cooling pint to celebrate!

Yesterday was a wistful day - I met a good friend, to walk in the rain - she has come to live in the UK after several years in Germany, and we couldn't hug. So frustrating.  I noticed that her German accent is stronger - obviously - it's a lovely one, soft southerner that she is.  She laughed as she has never seen me with such long and wild hair - can't wait for a haircut, who needs pubs opening, open up hairdressers or I will soon look like an equally fluffy dark version of Boris.

We caught up - she jumped down the seawall, I didn't - no way I am re damaging my back - and then, as it always was, she got tired and her back hurt (we used to swim together, she would do 10 flashy, fast lengths and crow at my slow steady progresss - then she'd flop and groan all the walk back) Sometimes caution is ok, but I felt sadly old! Last year's excruciating sciatica is not something I wish to return to.

So now I can concentrate on putting miles towards the other virtual challenge - Lands End to John O' Groats.  Or LEJOG as it is fondly known.  The wiggly route on the APP is just over 1000 miles and I am currently at Torpoint, actually here - HMS Raleigh. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunshine yellow sort of day

 It's not a sunshine yellow sort of day by any means.  I have soaking socks and damp hair just from ploughing round tesco and finding the car in the car park.  

But:

A day to notice and smell the yellow frilled trumpet glory of supermarket daffodils in the front room

A day to notice the splash of blackbird beak yellow crocus against the grey green brash on Heavitree Road

A day to give way and let people out, to thank the costa barista and spend a moment chatting

A day to put on cleaning out the freezer (I hate this job) and put off being a grumpy sod..

A day to notice the weary, inward looks of the shoppers in Tesco - and try to be a little cheery

A day to walk in the rain with a friend even though I hate walking in the rain 

So that's the day so far. My kitchen floor is now soaked from sweeping ice out the freezer and there is spilled wine in the fridge - because I forgot I had a mug of it in there for a casserole.  It's raining and I can't wait for Monday's announcement even if it is a tiny concession to normality.  Like most people I am doing my best but sometimes that feels not good enough.  I watched half of (zoom call with a friend) Kate Humble's walk on the coast path TV programme last night.  I didn't realise you could physically pine for a landscape.  She walked the coast above Lynton and Lynmouth -and the Countisbury Hill and foreland.  And I had an aching heart - I love this landscape and miss it, and Lee Abbey, my refuge when I feel in need of a bit of time out.  Hope - I will definitely walk the valley of the rocks as soon as we are allowed to travel and whatever the rain may throw at me!

Sunglasses On

 

Not me in the photo.

But definitely sunglasses on.  I had to go to the tip with parents' broken plastic chairs and my own "been spring cleaning" tat.  A good excuse, should I have been caught, to go for a walk along the canal.

 I couldn't get enough of staring at the blue of the sky after so much seemingly endless rain.  It was a fast walk - I had a deadline but so good to take time out to watch robins and long tail tits, listen to the hustle of moorhens creaking along, and rejoice at that "being let out for a while" feeling.

Somewhere out of Exeter even if only for an hour.