TP 193: Faith

What an appropriate theme from Carmi this week....

When I was hopping around for 6 months, missing even walking the dog, I always had faith that I would once again stand on a summit... maybe not the highest in the world but this was a good start - and the first of many more!

There is nothing like having something taken away from you to make you realise that the effort really IS worth it.

Juniper at 2630 feet.

for Thematic Photographic 193 : Faith

Mind over matter

On Monday we hiked up The Old Man of Coniston at 801m (about 2670 feet), 7 1/2 miles - my first proper hike after the broken leg, it felt great to be looking *down* on those sun dappled fells again.

Walked another 8 miles today.

Ok yes it's aching a bit now BUT I don't care!

:-)

Progress...

Carina's comment on my post from a year ago made me think about just how much things have moved on since April 2011.

Mr H has been through various forestry interviews and possible new houses/flats to move to, and then ended up moving home so actually it was a good thing none of them were successful. Although it didn't feel it at the time when he turned down a really nice house just in case he got the job in a different district!  And his new job is brilliant... will it last? who knows, but as he said tonight "we'll make hay while the sun shines".   If it goes belly up in a year's time, none of this will have been wasted, just like the forestry time hasn't been wasted.  I know that our parallel life, if Mr H hadn't said about 5 years ago 'I want to go to college and learn forestry and give up upholstery', would not have been nearly as rewarding as our life is now.

***

In the last couple of weeks I have gone on a normality spree. Maybe it was the orthopaedic expert looking at me as if I was making up the pain in my leg, or maybe it was talking boats and sailing with a friend (that sounds odd, given that I talk boats all day, but this was related to pleasure not work!), but I seem to have switched gears.

Mr H and I having taken out the Heron dinghy three or so weeks ago, on Easter Sunday I took the Topaz 'Purpletrator' out:

It wasn't as comfortable, as there was very little wind so I spent most of the half hour scrunched up in the bottom of the boat, and hurting when I had to move!  But, I went out and survived and will go out again this weekend.   

I also spent an evening on Friday with a bunch of old sailing friends who were doing a regatta in Cowes, and felt rather envious of them because I wished that it was me going out on the water with them the next day. That is the first time really that I've missed sailing with them, it's the camaraderie and fun of being part of a crew as much as the sailing itself.  I think that I should aim to be out yachting in 2013!

Today I put myself back on the sailing club duty roster, although with some conditions.  So I'm back on the roster for driving a safety boat (but with a crew who is also qualified to drive so we can swap places), but staying off tractor driving duty for now (for launching the safety RIBs). Mainly because doing both involves a lot of running around by the time I have launched and recovered three boats. And I've said that I'll train as an assistant race officer as long as it's ashore, since doing it on the races that start out in the Solent involves clambering on and off an old lifeboat to/from a RIB, probably in a bit of sea - it's rare that the Solent is flat! 

There is a training day for race officers and assistants at the end of May, but I'll miss it as I have an OU tutorial that day; but the sailing secretary and I agreed that since I know all the basics he's just going to throw me in the deep end, so that will be fun.

Oh and last on my list (but certainly not least) for this month of getting back to normal is going to be a week in the Lake District, hill walking and cycling amongst other things. That will be really interesting to see how much the beautiful view distracts me from how much things hurt!   

And now I must get on with some studying, I have a review to write of 'Protecting Scotland's Communities - Fair, Fast and Flexible Justice', which my tutor said was very boring, but naturally I found it interesting because I'm strange like that...

Pfft having written a long letter to Mr H this weekend now I feel I have nothing to tell you!   So I hope some rambling drivel will suffice for now...

I spent most of the weekend gardening, and looking at bees.  We are suffering a bad wasp year with the little ******s hell bent on getting into our hive. Interestingly though, I have noticed that once they are in there they want nothing more than to escape, which is odd as you'd think that once in they'd sit and nosh on the honey stores.  Maybe the bees tease them about their odd appearance and they can't stand the embarrassment.

I overdid it somewhat at the garden centre yesterday, it's their fault for having plants at reduced prices and 3 for 2.   So I then spent lots of time planting (once I'd decided where on earth I was going to put them!  I also cleared the top vegetable patch so that is nice, clean, damp earth just waiting for some compost/fertlizer.

Yesterday I accidentally walked for two hours, I didn't mean to but ended up exploring and didn't have a watch so had no idea how long I'd been out until I got back to the car.  It did explain why I was aching quite a lot!  On the way I met some D of E teenagers hiking - we kept overtaking each other and the third time I saw them they were obviously a bit lost so I put them straight as to where they were. It made me realise that we never did that sort of thing at school, at least I was never offered it - or maybe no-one ever thought I might like it?  having said that, Mr H did it at his school and said it was really annoying as apparently they made they carry hat, scarf and gloves even on swelteringly hot summer weekends.

Spot the Dog!

So that was my weekend, oh and I have started on my course which is beginning with stuff about surveillance - quite thought provoking. I got the name of my tutor for this year and was disappointed that it is a man; the last two years I have had women tutors and got on well with them, I somehow feel that a man is going to be quite different. Well, I shall give him the benefit of the doubt until our first tutorial and assignment feedback!

Risk analysis

In the last 3 months there have been two young ladies in the news who went missing, and then their bodies found.  One apparently left from her flat with someone, the other was the victim of a taxi-driver at 2am.

When I was walking through the back paths of the woods this morning I idly started wondering how long it would be before anyone missed me, and how long before they found me, if I was attacked in the woods.  I decided it wouldn't be very long as I'm expected at my parents this evening, and it wouldn't be hard for them to deduce I was somewhere in the car with Django, and then to find the car.   I remembered my self-protection course I went on a few years back, after which I walked with my hand on my car/house keys in my pocket just in case. I wonder how many of the techniques I'd remember now if I had to?

I rarely think about any dangers in dog-walking alone. Mainly I think most murderers would probably be too lazy to be in the places I am, and then hang around on the off-chance of a girl on her own happening to walk past.  Popular city parks are a much easier target.

So, there you have my cheerful thought for the day!

Synchronising calendars

Last night Mr H and I sorted out when he would be having Django and when I will. It made me think of the friends and family who have wall-charts showing when each parent is going to have the children.. except that our arrangements are undoubtedly less traumatic.

So, the young man will be going up to Scotland for the summer, from the end of May to the beginning of September. I suppose it's rather like him 'taking a cottage for the summer' like families did in the old days - does anyone do that now?   It means he will be up there when I fly up for my birthday weekend which will be good; and leaves the summer free for me to go to sailing events without having to worry about him.

He'll be back down here from September to November - neatly coinciding with Mr H's trips south for hospital appointments and an Imelda May gig (ooh!).   Then back up north in November until Christmas.  

It makes the year seem very short, writing that.

Here is a picture of Django out on our walk this morning. No running around exploring for him when I stopped for a snack.. after he'd done some digging around in the bracken he took the opportunity for a kip!

Walking in the evening light

I love springtime because I have time to take Django for a proper walk after work, now that it's not getting dark until 6.30-ish.

Usually we go on foot down to the fields because it's easy, but tonight I drove down to the sea for a sunlit stroll around the marshes. Here are some photos for you to join us...

There are few better ways to wind down from work.

When I got home I logged onto the computer to print out some study stuff to read through, and discovered the mark for my TMA4 ready to collect.  82% which is my highest this year - I'm really pleased because I worked extra hard on that essay determined to get a higher mark and over 80%.

There are only two more to go: the qualitative report I'm working on at the moment, and a final essay.  Then it's all revision time until the exam on June 14th...

Enclosed walking and a brief history lesson!

Today Django and I went out for a walk to somewhere we don't normally go, a wooded area called Wilverley Enclosure.  The reason we don't normally go there is because it's very popular and the car park is always packed; we prefer places that are a little more exclusive.   However, today I went out without a coat and it just started spitting with rain as I was driving across the Forest so I decided woods would be a good plan. 

For those of you who get confused with talk of going 'across' the Forest and much of it not having any trees on it, here is an excerpt from a short history of the New Forest:

"Once established [in England, after the Battle of Hastings 1066], the new King William I began introducing his influence over the land and had created areas of land throughout the country that would be used as his personal deer and wild boar hunting grounds, a favourite royal pastime as well as ensuring a continued supply of fresh meat to the newly established Crown.  The southernmost of these areas, by all accounts, was one of the most frequented and enjoyed by King William and his men.

This particular area of land was designated and named as the New Forest, in the year 1079.

It's important to note though, that the word 'Forest' in this context doesn't reflect the usual meaning of the word. In this case, 'Forest' was used to describe an area of land that had been 'afforested' (purchased under law) and designated as land to be used for royal privileges, ie hunting. 
The name, New Forest, is a direct translation from the Norman Nova Foresta."

Much of the New Forest is open heathland, but there are 84 sq km of Enclosures (or Inclosures). These are fenced off areas designated for growing trees for timber supply, including for the building of naval ships in the 18th C when the first Enclosures were created. The fencing was needed because of the number of animals that live wild in the Forest, who undoubtedly would be happy to nosh down on sweet little seedlings.

The 'greens' that I sometimes mention were, I believe, originally cleared for cultivation but I don't think were very fruitful.  Many of those that were all grass when I was young are rapidly being taken over by heathers now, so it would be interesting to see what the landscape looked like 1000 years ago when the Normans first arrived. 

****

The main track around Wilverley Enclosure is a very dull, gravel tourist track with waymarked walking and cycling trails.  However, for those brave enough to leave those, there are much more pleasant sandy and grassy trails through the trees which are much kinder to the feet, and more interesting.  Thanks to my trusty GPS we managed to have a 3 mile walk walk zig zagging and twisting around with the minimum time spent on gravel tracks, and get back to the right car park rather than end up on one the other side of the woods!

So, today's training was a very neat 3 mile, 1 hour, 3mph walk with a bit of meandering and looking at the larches sprouting new fronds. Spring-a-ding-ding, indeed.

  

The contrasts of Spring

Training 2
Location: Hinchelsea and Longslade Bottom
Miles: 2.64
Time: 50 mins
Average speed: 3.1 mph
Terrain: X-country

After a reasonably sunny week, Friday was a miserable, wet, cold in-your-bones day but the evening cleared to a beautiful full-moonlit night and a sky sparking with stars.  It gave me that feeling of wanting to run naked round the garden, but I didn't.

This morning dawned cloudless and frosty, but the sun coming up over the houses had warmth in it.  I had arranged to go and see a friend who was house-sitting and looking after horses at a farm out on the edge of the Forest, so I took expensive biscuits and we sat in the garden drinking tea, and chatted to a couple of the horses. 

It was a day that insisted on me being out of doors, there was no way it was going to allow me to be inside studying all day, so after leaving my friend to the stables' mucking-out I went and picked up Django and we headed out for a walk.   I didn't intend it to be 2-greens long, it just ended up that way. We walked up on the sandy path through the heather, through the woods and back along the greens. By this time it was midday and warmed up nicely, I had stripped off my fleece and Django needed a drink-stop at the 'oasis'.

So, I ended up doing almost an hour's walk, which made up for the fact that I skipped cycling to work yesterday because of the freezing cold rain.... That's the thing about springtime, you never know what you're going to pull out of the Weather Bag.

The freedom of going alone

Today I did something I've never done before.

I booked a ticket to go to the theatre, to see 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.  Not just that, but I'm going alone, to a matinee in 10 days time.

It cancels out so many issues: no deciding who to ask along, no agreeing on which night suits us best, no wondering if we will want a drink in the interval, no discussion about eating beforehand.  Some people would hate to go out to something without company, but as someone who has had to eat in restaurants alone a few times, this is easy.  I like the freedom of being alone, although as social beings it doesn't often come easily to us, and we like to have props such as a book or newspaper. I think it takes practice and the knowledge that unless you are behaving strangely, no-one really notices or thinks you're a wierdo.

Having said that, I did once try long-distance walking on my own, and that was awful (and yes maybe some people thought I was a weirdo).  When you are hiking along an escarpment looking at the fantastic valley below you, and there is no-one to turn to and say "wow, look at that!", it feels extremely lonely.  I lasted one day. The second day I walked with a group I had met in the B&B the night before who took pity on me because I was so miserable!   I didn't see it through, but at least I tried it.

Picture from here, quote from To Kill a Mockingbird

So, back to the start of the post, many people read the book as part of their school curriculum. I didn't and it was just one of those titles that I knew, but didn't know the story until I finally got round to reading it last year.  I'm not going to postulate on the book or it's meanings, there are people far more qualified than I for that, but I am looking forward to seeing the stage interpretation of it.



Meet a new friend

Well everyone, let me introduce Cliff. 

Yes you can guess why he's called that can't you?  Yes another abandoned furry thing, left to get cold and wet, on the clifftop this time.

He's had a bath, and a tumble dry, and maybe I'll give him a carrot to knaw on later.. after he's finished reading the chapter on Freud.

Django and I walked quite a long way this morning, the cliff path (after the paved bit finished) was a bit muddy so we picked our way at a strolling pace.  The sea on the shingle below was so soothing, at one point we stood and shut our eyes and just listened to it, in and out, in and out.

This afternoon I went with my friend G to see the pony that she looks after two days a week.  She's a piebald cob mare, about 14.2hh, and very easy to handle.   I love the smell of stables, and horses, and hay. It makes me miss my riding days whenever I smell it.

TP 132: Curves

Where does the curve of today's path lead.....?

The dusty, comforting curves of home.

Thematic Photographic at Carmi's

Friends, walks and inquests

I had a stroll along the cliff this morning with a friend and her young Labrador bitch. We were chatting away and I didn't realise how far we were walking... suddenly I realised that we'd gone much farther than I'd intended and we still had to walk back!  But it was fine, and on the way back we bumped into mutual friends who neither of us had seen for a while, so stood around for 20 minutes chatting to them while the two young dogs played and Django looked on from the shelter of my side. 

The conversation culminated in one of our friends saying "What would really be perfect now would be to have a table, chairs and windbreak and a massive cream tea (scones with lashings of cream and jam for those of you who are wondering) here on the clifftop".  At which point we all realised we were hungry and went our separate ways.

With it being almost 7 months since the crash, over the last week or so everything has started moving on the legal/admin front.  Yesterday I received an interim payment from the insurance company. When my solicitor told me last week I'd be getting one in advance of the inquest I was very surprised, I guess they aren't in too much doubt about the outcome.

The inquest is set for this Thursday 27th, thankfully I don't have to attend since the only witnesses called will be the police and the pathologist.  The lovely policeman who is handling the case has offered to come and visit me afterwards to go through it all, which I really appreciate since he must be busy.

Now I'm spending the afternoon studying, having been enthused to get on with my assignment after yesterday's OU day school.

Oh and I'm writing my blog and eating chocolate too.... and I have the ingredients sitting on the side to make some scones.

Feelgood Friday: an afternoon off

I said I would and I did. Well ok I switched my work laptop off at 13.07, which considering I had had an morning of waiting for things to happen in the office, which then started happening at about 12.50, was good.  It can wait til Monday, I wanted some quality time with Django and myself.

After lunch I piled an exciting, bouncing dog into the back of the car and we went down to clifftop to 'take the air'.  

I used to eschew (what a great word) the clifftop, because they put a neat gravel path along it and it was always full of people walking their dogs along it, very slowly.  A bit like I am now in fact.  But I've come to rather like it, partly because I now have one, easy, polite dog and we don't have to choose walks to avoid other canines; and partly because I'm mellowing and am happy saying 'good morning' to complete strangers.  It is still a good idea to avoid people with picnics though.

So we strolled along, smiling and saying hello to people who were mostly retired (it being 2.30 on a Friday afternoon).   We paused occasionally to watch people walking on the beach or throwing stones for their dogs. There was a solitary man with a metal detector and a spade, I wonder if he'd found any washed-up treasure. We (Ok, I) occasionally stopped for a sit-down on one of the many benches, but I hadn't taken my book as I thought it would be too cold, so didn't sit for long.  

It's a beautiful, sunny day, about 4C but almost windless. I was wrapped up with coat, gloves and hat and as usual when walking Django I had one crutch with me for extra support.  I'm still sure some people look at me and wonder what's wrong with me, since I look normal (well, as normal as someone in a bright red down jacket can look) and don't walk with much limp at all with the crutch.     However, at one point today I had a refreshingly straightforward conversation with an elderly chap who was overtaking me.

"Is he behaving himself today?"  (nodding towards Django)

"Oh yes, he's a good boy."

"Why do you need a crutch?"

"Broken leg."

"Oh dear, recovering I hope?"

"Yes, thanks."

"How did you do that?"

"Car crash."

"Oh. Well as long as it's recovering."

"Yes."

And off he went.  

Spot's Spot: A happy week!

Hello all - this will be my last post of 2010! 

I've been having a grand week at home, what with log fires and having both Mum and Dad to pester for my tea.  Plus I got to supervise them sweeping leaves, and sawing wood.  They have to be watched otherwise they don't do it properly.

Here is me with my new ragga toy they gave me:

and out on the Forest on Boxing Day, brrr cold on the toes standing around waiting for Mum and Dad!

And out in the woods today - look at Mum with no crutch just a stick thing!  she's acting much more normal these days.

Tonight apparently my Auntie G is coming over to see the year out (if we stay awake that long, I know I won't!!).   She gave me a scary squeaky space hopper for Christmas, I'm really not sure about it.

Happy New Year everyone!!

I've been thinking...

.. yes I know that's pretty dangerous, but it happens on occasion. 

A couple of times in the last two days the subject of New Year Resolutions has come up.  Among our family and friends we seem pretty unanimous that we don't do them, as they are pointless and why is it any different deciding to do something on the 1st Jan as any other day of the year?

Everyone knows that new gym memberships peak in January and attendance is tailing off by the end of February.     I used to have a long-term New Year resolution to stop biting my nails.  When I eventually did stop, it was for some other reason completely and nothing to do with the resolution. 

This year, what with things being put into perspective somewhat, Resolutions seem even more pointless.  The only one I thought about on the drive home today was:

To walk a-top the embankment and stay out of the ditch.

In other words, not to live life head-down working, or cooking/cleaning/everyday living, but up on that embankment looking around to see what's going on outside my own hill-fort. Looking for ways to expand my horizons and make the most of the fact that I'm alive and kicking. Not doing things because 'that's what's expected of me' but doing things I want to do; getting priorities balanced between other people and myself.  

****

One of the things that has come about after the crash was the question of what I really miss.   Most people think I'd miss sailing - since that has always been part of my life; I own two dinghies, and over the years have done a fair bit of big-boat racing though that is now about a week every 2 years so doesn't really count any more.     Most of the sailing people I know, put in my position, would be tearing their hair out not being on the water, and desperate to be deemed fit enough to sail again.    

But I don't miss the dinghy sailing one bit.   It makes me wonder how much I actually enjoyed it before?  I know that I've always had a self-confidence issue with it and can quite easily come up with excuses why not to go out: too much wind, not enough wind, too cold etc.  Maybe I've been kidding myself all this time?  I don't know when I'll be able to sail my dinghies again and I don't really care; I know it's winter now but even in the summer I didn't sit in the garden thinking 'what a lovely day for a sail'.  It costs me £260 a year to keep 2 boats in the club dinghy park, and now I'm thinking I could use that money to go to Scotland and go canoeing with Mr H. and Django instead.

The thing I have consistently missed the most is walking, the most simple thing of all.   Not walking as in around the house, but walking to work, or into town, or along the clifftop or out on the Forest with Django.   And as an extension of that, the walking that I had started getting lazy about - out in the hills, mountains or long distance paths with Mr H.