London Loop Sections : Half of Section 11 starting at West Drayton railway station finishing at Uxbridge: Section 12 Uxbridge to Harefield West: Section 13 Harefield West to Moor Park.
Awakened at 5.45am by sound of clinking milk bottles. Apparently you can order milk to your door online now. Wonder what my dad would have thought of that idea when he was a milkman delivering to people in Nottingham on a horse and cart 55 years ago? I imagine it would have been beyond science fiction then. Get up and look out to yet more snow, ungritted roads and freezing temperatures. Loads of thoughts to give it a miss and avoid the roads and conditions but the strongest drive is to get together with Rob (Rob wouldn't wimp out) and do some more miles and conversations and meet people and clock up miles for the cause. MS is a big item on the news this morning with a possible explanation of the disease related to the size of an artery in the neck. I know this is old news that Karen has considered at least six months ago and is based on a very small sample. Lots more work to do and not a cure and I hope people don't go away thinking that problems now fixed. It is not.
A perfect days walking today. The first ten miles along the Grand Union Canal. A 200 year old piece of amazing engineering. Often we stopped to look at a river running below the canal or lakes around us well below the level of the canal. The small areas of our face exposed to the elements were bitterly cold but inside we felt warm with clear blue skies and lots of sun. Conversations ranged from what the EU, or Eurozone, or Greece should do about the Greek problem to the differences a person sees in a face and what is seen behind the viewed face. We solved both...but I can't remember the answers (Rob says Greece is a basket case and he should know being Greek).
We are now talking to people comfortably. We are walking along the canal and come across a barge occupant carrying out his daily task of chopping wood to keep his boat warm. Rob is overcome with excitement. A city boy who is astonished at seeing things like horses and fields can't contain himself when he sees someone working their own fuel. 'Can I take a photograph please he asks?'. I explain he is a city boy. The picture is taken.
We talk with the axe man and for a joke ask him if he wouldn't mind using the axe to take off Rob's head. Rob puts his head on the block and as the man raises the axe Rob realises that he could after all be a mad axeman. Rob is now screaming 'no...please....no' and scares the axe man.....'don't worry I am not really going to do it' he assures.I will him on but it is just a photo shoot.
We meet a fisherman fishing for pike round the corner on Beaconsfield Lakes. We are attracted to talk to him as we hear the technology of an alarm telling the fisherman when a fish is caught. Man can build canals and lakes above rivers, and invent alarms to tell a fisherman when a fish is on the line.....so there must be a solution he can find for MS.A fun day. We notice that our bodies are now receptive to this exercise.
The miles are easier and recovery with stretches quicker. Exercise must be as good as they say it is. The London Loop is great but I realise I have driven over 100 miles today to walk 15 miles. Looking forward to Offas Dyke and other environmentally sensible walks with less driving. And as I arrive home I discover I have a puncture. Got to get to Purfleet station for 7.30 start tomorrow so now need to work on that problem.
No comments:
Post a Comment