JUST dodged the rain this morning. Went on my half-hour
route, and the drops started to fall as I approached the finish point;
although since then, despite severe weather warnings, it’s been quite bright
for most of the day. The sun’s actually shining through the raindrop-covered
window as I write.
The blogging’s been a bit erratic of late, because of other
commitments, although I made a pledge to myself not to let the walking slip,
and try to do at least half an hour a day. Not always successful, but once you miss one session, it’s easy to
miss another, and another, and before you know it, you haven’t been on a walk
for ages.
I have a convenient triangular route around residential streets
that lasts almost exactly 30 minutes. It’s nice to set off with no plan and
follow wherever your legs take you, but it can also be useful to know how long certain
routes last. It makes it easier to plan into a busy day.
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| Plenty of puddles with all the rain. |
I followed the same route yesterday, but about
three-quarters of an hour earlier. Surprising what a difference it makes: a lot
darker, not so much traffic and no-one around. At 6.30am activity is already
starting to buzz!
There are eye-catching changes in the scenery at this time of
the year. It’s getting wetter – so lots of puddles – but, of course, the leaves
are falling, so there are carpets of gold everywhere. There are plenty of
acorns and conkers on the ground. Last weekend I also spotted an impressive ‘fungi
patch' at the roadside.
I also passed an old outhouse on the roadside last Sunday,
with graffiti carved into the sandstone. One was dated 1979. Another was ‘TT’
in 1951 and yet another was from 1909.
The topic arouses strong passions, but
the carvings on the wall seemed to carry historical resonance, and it was
fascinating to think of someone in that exact same spot, hastily scratching their
way into posterity, albeit anonymously, over 100 years ago.
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| Van passing roadside fungi. Below, close-up of the vegetation. |
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| Old outbuilding at the roadside and, below, graffiti scratched into the sandstone walls. |
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| A carpet of gold as autumn leaves fall. |
