Tag: Wildflowers

Winchester or bust – first published 16 July 2013

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It was Satirday,  it was mid July 2013 and the plan for the day was to walk the Itchen Navigation to Winchester, find the Winchester rhino and get the train home. Obviously that meant an early start and the hope it wouldn’t get too hot before I got there. Not feeling too sure about that I packed my water bottle with ice and water and took my sunglasses as well as my glasses. Seeing properly is relatively important I always find. All in all I felt it was a good plan and I was fairly confident of success. Continue reading Winchester or bust – first published 16 July 2013

Gosport half marathon, disappointment and surprises

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15 November 2015

As if running a marathon in Toronto in October wasn’t quite enough, Commando had also signed up for the Gosport Half Marathon in mid November. Yesterday, in the wind and rain we went to collect his race pack. We parked up behind the lifeboat station and, with the wind at our backs, we walked the half mile to the scout hall where Commando confidently reeled off his race number. The ladies behind the desk looked at him a little strangely.
“Are you sure?” one said, “only that number belongs to Jane Smith and you don’t look like a Jane to me.”
For once, Commando, who usually remembers every number, from his National Insurance number to his bank account, had got it wrong. Maybe the rain had got into his brain. There was some laughter, some checking on his phone and, eventually, we left with the right race pack. Continue reading Gosport half marathon, disappointment and surprises

the unexplored path – first published 26 May 2013

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A sunny Sunday in late May, and a new pair of walking boots seemed like a good excuse for a walk, as if I ever needed one. Add to that a path I’d been meaning to explore for a while and you have a nice little afternoon stroll. As it happened it wasn’t quite what I’d hoped but at least I ticked it off my list. Continue reading the unexplored path – first published 26 May 2013

A bridge, a boat show and some old walls

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13 September 2013

For reasons I will reveal later I didn’t want to tax myself too much on Sunday and, even though I knew there would be precious little time for walking on Monday and maybe Tuesday, I decided on a shortish Sunday walk. The Boat Show was in town so I decided to do the old two bridge challenge and see what all the fuss was about. It was an overcast day with a good chance of rain when I set out towards the green and I detected more than a hint of yellow in the leaves along the woodland path. At the top of the slope the open space was filled with grass and wildflowers going to seed. Autumn is in the air for sure. Continue reading A bridge, a boat show and some old walls

The last long walk…almost – first published 26 April 2013

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As April 2013 was drawing to a close I had one more long Moonwalk training walk ahead of me. This was the big one, twenty-six point two miles. The longest walks or runs on most marathon training plans stop at twenty or twenty-two miles. The logic being, if you can make it that far, you can do the whole marathon on the day. This is not something I’ve been comfortable with and, for both my Moonwalks, I’ve trained to the full distance. Whether this is a sensible approach or not remains to be seen but it does at least leave me confident I can finish a marathon. April 26 was the day of the long walk…

Continue reading The last long walk…almost – first published 26 April 2013

Show me the way to go home, an exercise in getting lost again!

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16 August 2015

Before I prised myself off the bench in St Bartholomew’s churchyard I spent a moment or two looking at Google Maps on my phone. If I walked back to the road and carried on along Brook Lane I knew I’d end up on the other side of the village near Broad Oak. It would be a simple matter to return the way I came, a tried and tested route. That would have been a little boring though and my initial plan had been for a circular route. My main problem was that the church hadn’t been quite where I’d expected it, or at least the paths leading to it hadn’t. That’s the problem with satellite maps, things look far different on the ground. If I walked through Manor Farm it looked as if I could get to Tanhouse Lane and, from there, eventually, back to Bursledon Road. In hindsight it may have been a touch on the ambitious side. Continue reading Show me the way to go home, an exercise in getting lost again!

Homeward bound, trails, haunted bridges, shopping trolleys and mills

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29 July 2015

We’d taken the shortest, straightest route from the Cathedral to Old Sarum but, when I’d been planning the trip, I’d seen what I thought was another, far more scenic route. Whether it was actually possible to walk it was another matter so I thought I’d save it for the return journey. If we got completely lost we’d just keep walking south and hope we’d find Salisbury eventually… Probably. Continue reading Homeward bound, trails, haunted bridges, shopping trolleys and mills

Butterfly walk and runners on the common

Mayfield Park
Mayfield Park

28 July 2015

The butterflies have been conspicuous in their absence this year for some reason. Although I’ve seen the odd one fluttering over the garden or when I’ve been out walking, there haven’t been nearly as many as usual. The bees have been buzzing around all the flowers in my garden since spring, but I’ve missed the colour of delicate wings drifting from plant to plant. On Tuesday, I thought I’d go and seek them out in their own habitat, the Butterfly Walk. Continue reading Butterfly walk and runners on the common

a break in the rain

Osteospermum
Osteospermum

25 July 2015

Friday’s severe weather warnings came to nothing but steady, all day rain. Mostly I stayed indoors, catching up on housework. On a dash to the bins I passed the new waterbut and could hear water trickling in. On the way to the shops in the afternoon, the trickling had stopped. Lifting the lid I saw water to the brim. It had been empty the day before. Continue reading a break in the rain

On the edge of thunder

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15 to 18 July 2015

This week was all about humidity and on Wednesday morning that meant  hot and wet. A blanket of thick cloud was doing its best to drop rain but not quite succeeding as I walked through the gloom along the Boardwalk. Colour was provided by spiky purple knapweed and a second flowering of ragwort like a tatty bouquet. Near Horseshoe Bridge a patch of pink toadflax stood out amongst the purple. There was a feel of thunder in the air. Continue reading On the edge of thunder