A repeat of this walk I did back in December as the snow melted a few days before Christmas, this time without a short diversion around Twyford due to bad navigation.
I'd woken naturally at 4.30am after getting an early night. By half six I was raring to go but the friends at my destination weren't expecting me until 1pm so I dossed around until half past eight before finally giving in and heading out. A taxi up to the industrial estate to save a mile on my feet - I won't do this next time - and off across the fields to Lenborough. The weather was beautiful, gentle clouds crawling across a brightly-lit blue sky. Even at half past eight the temperature was very comfortable and the miles started disappearing under my feet.
The rape has gone over now and is producing long seed pods as the flowers fall away. Wheat is knee-high and already showing good heads of seed, the wild flowers are everywhere with daisies, buttercups, clover, cow parsley and nettles all gaining ground.
I saw three buzzards circling and another fly out of a hedge about five metres away. I heard three cuckoos and saw one - the first I've seen - flying around the perimeter of a field I was in, calling away. I saw an orange rump shooting into the undergrowth a few metres away, probably a deer. One hare, plenty of blue demoiselle and a couple of larger dark green dragonflies, hundreds of other insects.
This was a lovely walk and one I hope to repeat in good time. It took me almost exactly three hours of walking with very few short stops and ten minutes outside the shop in Twyford enjoying a cold drink. Despite my expectation that I'd ache like hell afterward - 24 miles in 4 days - my feet didn't hurt a bit, no new blisters and my calves aren't tight at all. Result, as I'd been on the phone to physiotherapy to make an appointment to get my right calve looked at, but after this strenuous week it's absolutely fine. I've also decided to crack out the Wii Fit to improve my balance; it's such fun, daughter loves it too and it's a good way to track my weight loss.
I'm really pleased with the walks I carried out this week. Hopefully I'll get another one or two in this week before the first Walking for Wellbeing group walk on Sunday. Fingers crossed the weather's good for us!
Oh! One last thing. Nettles. Fucking things. There's the tall ones which are obvious and go down with a good thrashing, and there's ones which hide in ankle-length grass and take you by surprise. The first time ever I wore shorts on a walk and I stung myself four times. Fortunately, dock leaves work brilliantly at relieving the stings and it was only a slight irritation. Also, cheap aluminium walking poles aren't great for thwacking undergrowth down, if you like them nice and straight.
