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| Setting out not just on a walk - but an adventure! |
THINGS have been rather manic lately, with scarcely time to
breathe let alone maintain a blog. I’ve been doing short bursts of walking but nothing
to write home about, so to speak. But this morning I decided enough was enough
and I had to get back into the swing of it.
I took my half-hour triangular route around the streets in
our neighbourhood. After yesterday’s sharp early-morning frost, I was expecting
it to be a bit nippy, but actually it was quite mild. There was a slight chill
in the air, but you soon warm up once you get moving.
You can let your mind wander when you go on a walk, and on
this occasion there was plenty to think about. Today is my wedding anniversary.
This time umpteen years ago, my wife-to-be was sorting her wedding dress etc,
while I was trying to fix our car, an old Austin A40 (Farina, I think) which had broken down. I
haven’t a clue about mechanical things, but fiddled with whatever you fiddle
with under the bonnet. I can’t remember fixing it, but must have done, because I
made it to the register office on time, along with my best man (and lifelong friend) Rob Waterhouse.
Generous spirit
Also on Wednesday was my brother Dave’s funeral at Swan Bank Methodist Church, in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent (UK). Well over 200 people attended, including some of Dave's friends from his younger days.
Sad occasion though it was, you couldn’t have wished for a better send-off. The
pastor, Ashley Cooper, spoke from the heart, as he had known Dave personally,
and wasn’t simply reciting from notes scrawled on a piece of paper. The congregation
also sang with meaning and emotion. At these sorts of events, the typical singing is a
low mumble at best. Not this time. I thought there was a recording or a choir.
But no, it was the usual church-goers, giving every ounce of passion, harmonies and all! It was wonderful, and a real heart-felt tribute.
Dave had his difficulties, but was always positive, seeing
the good in people and constantly planning his next ‘project.’ He was a
generous spirit and an inspiration who touched many people’s lives - and was
partly the spark for me to get back out and do some walking this morning.
Also at the funeral was my dear friend Christine Lapping. We
hadn’t met since we were teenagers, and have only recently been back
in touch. But the prolonged hug said it all! It’s surprising how you can just
pick up where you left off, as if the intervening years had never existed. She’d
also commented that I hadn’t put anything up on my blog for a while. So, there
we are Christine, I do think of you – and here are some words and pictures!
Part of my route incorporated where I walked yesterday – at a
much slower pace – with two of my lovely grandchildren, who describe it not as
a walk, but as an adventure.
What a wonderful way to think about it. And my walk this
morning was certainly that; an adventure not just in body, but also in mind - and spirit!
Pictures show two of my grandchildren on their woodland 'adventure.'
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| Finding treasure among the leaves |
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| Deep into the forest. |
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| It's all in the footwork. |
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| A long - and sometimes winding - road. |
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| Warding off an invisible foe. |
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| The homeward stretch. |
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Time for a quick play in the leaves. |
