Keeping my hand in

Aye up me ducks, what are you up to then. You'll be pleased to know that I am still doing a lot of walking, but the bad news is that I haven't been very far afield, so there are not so many trips to report on. I am out every day walking in my local area, just to keep my hand in and to keep my fitness levels up for when I start on the biguns next spring. At this time of the year a lot of people suffer from that SAD, Seasonal Affected Disorder, due to the short dark days. A good way to combat this is to grab every opportunity to get yourself out in the open air and get whatever bit of daylight there is onto your body. It definately makes me feel alive when I am out in the countryside.

I am reading a book at the moment about a chappie walking the Pennine Way. He is a poet and giving readings along the way in exchange for free meals and accommodation. I could do that and give frugal talks instead of the poetry, ha ha. I'm halfway through the book and he is halfway through the walk, he has just arrived in the Yorkshire Dales after struggling for days through peat bogs. This is one aspect of this long distance path which puts me off, I cannot see the fun of squelching through a quagmire and coming out the other side splattered in mud. I have walked some of the nice bits of the Pennine Way, the Dales are lovely, but I will give the bogs a miss. 

There's a long distance walk taking place this week, some presenters from Radio Humberside are walking from Bridlington to Scunthorpe, for the BBC Children in Need Appeal. There are frequent updates about it on the radio, it sounds as though they are having a good time. All this talk, and reading about walking is giving me an appetite, I can't wait to get out there again. I've had an idea for the spring. Instead of planning a route, why not just set off with no plans in mind whatsoever. Take a couple of os maps, and wander willy nilly making it up as I go along. I reckon that could be quite good fun, a real test. Sometimes it's good to have a plan, then you can see the sights you want to see, but an unplanned route would be full of surprises, and I like surprises. Hmmm I'll think about it.

In the meantime here are some local walking pics. Yesterday at Normanby Hall and the Park. 

Cor, doncha just wish we lived here :o) 

Rocky has a new friend.

Today, down Wood Hill along Flixborough Bottoms, across the fields. 

On the way back up Wood Hill.

We met a whole group of people from a local walking club, must have been about forty or more. Not my cup of tea to walk with that many. Bringing up the rear as the back marker was Graham and Lady. Poor Lady was struggling a bit so I offered to take her back to her house so Graham could carry on with the walk. She was a bit worried at first when he went one way and we went the other. A few treats soon took her mind off it, she has walked with me many times.  

Back home for a healthy lunch. Salad leaves and water cress, cous cous and sweetcorn, coleslaw, and a piece of grilled white fish. Very nice, especially as the fish was free given to me by my friend who doesn't like it, and the coleslaw and salad was reduced yellow sticker bargains.

I think I might have do a big shop tonight as my fridge is bare. Toodle pip.