Avon Valley Path

As part of my preparation for the walk next weekend I was out early, straight from the school run, to Ringwood to check out the route I'll be following from Christchurch back north to Ringwood via the Avon Valley path. Having lived in the area for decades, this is the first time I have discovered the pathways which lie beyond Ringwood and what a revelation they were!

It really was a fantastic 5.5 mile walk to Bisterne and back and it has made me look forward to this section which will take me through miles 30 to 40 on May 8th. There was so much to see and hear and the terrain itself was good for walking. The only downside comes from there being a few stiles to climb and I fear I'll be struggling over them after so many miles. 

I saw reed bunting, a fantastic view of a kingfisher, heron, greylag geese, mute swans, little egret, great tits, long tailed tits which were about two feet away with one of them carrying an insect like a crane fly and heard at least two cuckoos. 

After that I was off to Joy's with Alison and planted runner beans around the wigwam of bean sticks, carrots, chard, spinach, radish and beetroot. The next thing is cooking and it is well underway with hummus prepared and jollof rice and vegan chilli all nearly ready.

 

Shattered

I am absolutely shattered. It is clearly time for a rest. I was off early to the allotment and cycled there at 15mph in sunshine and felt good. It wasn't an onerous visit with just watering, weeding and a little tidying, as the main motivation for the trip was to collect some packets of seed so I could plant some in Joy's garden tomorrow.

By the time I left the cloud had gathered and the wind was a little stronger and I took it easy as I rode home, this time at 12.5mph, a lot slower. 

In the afternoon I spent some time with Amelia playing marble run and dollies whilst Alison collected Maria from school. There was stil time for a little jaunt to the woods to enjoy the bluebells which are right at their zenith, as you will see in the photo.

However, sat here now, I am so tired. I need to ease off a bit in the run up to the walk and can see that recovery from the 24 hour walk is going to take time, that's if I even get anywhere near that objective. Slight feeling of dread now!

More walking

 I've gone over the 15,000 steps again today, by lunchtime, after walking to Verwood and back with Alison so that we could do jobs at Joy's. In my case that was filling the bird feeders, raking the vegetable garden over ready for planting seeds later in the week having dug it over previously and doing more work in clearing the garage.

The potatoes are up now in Joy's garden and there is plenty of room for planting out runner beans, beetroot, spinach and radish which are what Joy enjoys most. She is not a big fan of carrots for example.

The garage is now laregly tidy but it has taken quite some time after years of being left alone with exception of things like the water pressure cleaner, lawn mower and scarifier. I found an old badminton set and shuttlecocks which must have been old when they were being used 40 years ago! I remember them from when the children were very young. There were also a couple of folding stools which can be used when hiking and Joy was happy to let me have them which was most welcome. They are lightweight and I can certainly see them being used, especially in being kept on the motorhome.

I'm currently cooking the tea of lasagne, chips and veg including roast carrots, brocolli and boiled carrots, one of the children's favourites.

Allotment recovery

After doing the school run, I drove straight to the allotment and then walked into town to the grocery shop to buy a few bit and pieces for tea and breakfast through the week before getting on with the plot. The first job was to water the seedlings and emerging plants as it has been so dry of late, despite the many frosty mornings. The most noticeable thing was the emergence of the first earlies which had come up over the weekend.

I was also pleased to see carrots, spinach, beetroot, radish, onion and leeks coming up and they are protected from the rabbits in a variety of ways, mesh, chicken wire, poly tunnels and so on.

It was nice to then do a little raking before planting more veg out which will complement the sowing I did at home yesterday.

I got home at about midday and was soon back out with the animals and cleaning up the utility room and patios before cutting the lawn, walking the dog, a very short walk next door and back(!) and cleaning up the motorhome.

It was fun collecting the children in the motorhome, as Alison had the car for her drive to look after Amelia for the afternoon, and the children enjoyed the space. I also took the opportunity to have a two mile walk round Cranborne, just to keep the muscles moving after the 17 miles yesterday. I've managed 15,000 steps already today, so no ill effects as yet. I am going for a gently jog shortly and will see how that goes.

17 mile hike!

A long walk today to help in my preparations. 17 miles in good time and I feel ok which makes me more confident about completing at least marathon distance. I just don't know what I'll feel like after 30 miles. It will help being among crowds along the sea front but from there onwards, I wonder how I will be able to deal with the fatigue and possible boredom of simply walking. It seems music and podcasts etc are going to be invaluable. I certainly enjoyed the blast of music today during the last three miles.

From Facebook:

Just posted an update after the 17 miles today. My legs don't feel too bad at the moment but I am anxious about 30 miles and upwards. It is a total unknown to me and I can't help but worry something will 'go' and it will end up being a painful hobble for the final 20 miles during which I'll be looking for good excuses to give in and call it a day. I will have to pretend to myself that I'll just do a bit more before stopping and then just carry on. 

Okehampton

 

Just a brief entry about our trip back from North Devon. We took the road down to Okehampton having emptied the grey waste and chemical toilet which didn't take too long at all. Okehampton was a revelation with such a lot of open space and fantastic walks alongside the river. 

That meant we took the Exeter to Dorchester road home and we made really good time. The motorhome is certainly paying off and is such a pleasure to drive.

RHS Rosemoor

 

We had such a lovely day out at RHS Rosemoor for Alison's birthday. It was an early start on Saturday morning as the journey was going to take over 3 hours and we had tickets booked for between 10.00 and 10.30 entry, part of the covid requirements. The drive was to Little Torrington and took us over a lot of smaller roads in the motorhome which took longer than in a car. However, we enjoyed the drive itself and having left at 6.50 arrived at 10.20, so 3.5 hours through Dorset, a bit of Wiltshire, Somerset and into Devon.

The gardens were superb, as one ought to expect I suppose, given the RHS is the official body for gardening in its myriad forms. We were entranced and inspired throughout the visit and took our time taking in as much as we could.

Hoefully the photos give some impression of the extensive gardens, the differing forms they take, the seasonality with blossoms in evidence after the daffodils had largely finished. You could see how magical it must look in the later months with that potential so obvious in the budding branches of shrubs and trees, roses and so on.

From there it was a short drive, 5 minutes, to our campsite for the night at Smytham Manor. That was a great find too. Having hooked up to the electric we were soon off again, walking down to the Tarka Trail and into Little Torrington

We had set out to get a loaf of bread but had no luck during our hiking round North Devon and so had to take a short drive to Torrington itself. It was then time for tea and whilst Alison caught up on some reading, I cooked us pasta and bolognese sauce with wine and beer which we enjoyed after our 20000 steps for the day. 

Just briefly, the new accessories for the motorhome worked out well with the hooks for coats, the bathroom organiser and hooks in the kitchen area proving useful in keeping things tidy and accessible. The frame for the bin was great and made cooking far easier with the peelings able to cleared as I went. It all just made life a little less cluttered on board and a bit less frustrating. Best of all was the double duvet which was soo cozy. The double sleeping bag served as a sheet under us and duvet was so much less restrictive. We were warm and Alison had a great night's sleep.

Barbecue - the first of the year

 

As part of Alison's birthday celebrations and ahead of the trip to RHS Rosemoor, we had our first barbecue of the year on a lovely evening after a day of sunshine. I got the camping stove out too so I could do the onions and sausages and burgers without having to worry about the fire pit which I just filled with wood and used for the jacket potatoes.

We had Bridie and Joseph over, Joe and Kate and the girls, as well as myself, Alison and Maria. However, it was all a bit staggered as Maria had a singing lesson she needed to attend which took her and Alison away for the first apart, whilst Bridie doesn't finish till 6.30 on Friday and so she was late too. I had to do two barbecues essentially because the girls and Joseph were feeling very hungry after school and lots of games when they got here.

I'd been for a brilliant walk around Cranborne and was fortunate to see a red kite from close up as it drifted directly overhead while I walked over farmland. Just over 5 miles done and feeling more prepared for the walk in two weeks.

Bridie gained a promotion at work which was great news and Joe and Kate are busy readying themselves for marriage, a house move and a big party at the end of May. Lots to do.

Dentist and walking as training

It is lovely to know the walk on my birthday is going to raise funds for Little Hearts Matter and it has given me further incentive to make a good fist of the attempt. I have walked a little over 10km today in preparation under sunny skies as the photo shows. There was still a chill in the air at that time and the beanie hat stayed on till I got to the dentist where I had a filling replaced, the original having come out a few weeks ago.

The numbness in my mouth has gone and so I got to the park with Amelia and am looking forward to a takeaway with the family to celebrate Alison's birthday which includes the trip to RHS Rosemoor at the weekend.

Fundraising activities

I've signed up for a couple of charity events, one of which I wrote about yesterday but without the fundraising aspect.

For my birthday I am going for the 24 hour, 50 mile walk around Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole but I am now doing it with a charitable aspect raising funds for Little Hearts Matter which is a charity supported by Joe Crook who is someone I taught back in 2008 and did the Southampton to Paris bike ride with. He has two children affected by heart problems and it is clearly something he has been deeply involved with.

The second event is an organised one for Julia's House which encampasses a 16 mile hike from Cranborne and back. That one is 12th Sept and should be fairly straightforward. The entry fee includes a guide, a meal and drink and t shirt. I have got to raise at least £200 which will be more of a challenge.

I got some training in today with a 5km run and a further 5km of walking, as well as successfully submitting the RHI application which will provide us with funding for the renewable energy for the next 7 years. It will mean that the new heating system will have more than paid for itself over that period, including the green energy grant, as well as providing us with cheaper, cleaner energy. A definite winner and the way we ought to be encouraging one another to tackle the climate crisis.

Hot run

It has certainly warmed up in the last few days and today was lovely throughout which was welcome given how much I have been out and about. 

I started with a run to the allotment taking me along Slough Lane and on the tracks across to Gaunts Common and then Furzehill. The final distance was 8.13 miles which was a nice start to the preparations for the 50 mile walk in under 3 weeks. Alison joined me at the allotment and she got on with putting in some sunflower seeds and watering the seedlings already emerging whilst I had done some more raking and tidying before planting the climbing french beans. I spent some time putting stakes in for them to climb and some mesh netting to protect the shoots from the rabbits.

After lunch I did the school run and went early to have a walk round Cranborne, just a couple of miles with the binoculars. I was pleased to get good views of at least 4 hares out in the open and it was great to feel the warmth after a long winter and cold start to April.

Maria is now at dance so I did tea for us before getting on with the wine bottle holders for outside which will be birthday gifts. There was still time to get on with the RHI application now we have the EPC and it looks like it will be quite a nice sum of money. 

 

A dozen miles round Woodlands

 

A lovely morning for a mountain bike ride round the local roads, paths and tracks. I got to 12 miles and called it a day but it was a very sunny trip with plenty to enjoy in the hedges and on the banks, primroses doing well still and the energing leaves from the deciduous trees and hedgerows. 

That was followed by a bit of cooking with butternut squash soup, dressed lentil dahl and grilled aubergines whilst we had a visit from a guy completing an energy performance certificate for us as part of the application for the renewable heat initiative. It will give us a report into the energy requirements of the house and provide a grading and it is essential as part of the application for RHI. The RHI may allow us to make some money from our air heat pump, so we will see.

Woodlands Sutton Holms walk

Having made the Sunday dinner, it was lovely to get out for a walk this afternoon taking me just under 4 miles through Boys Wood and to the Remedy Oak pictured above. I had noticed a footpath sign here some time ago but this is the first time I have looked to discover where it leads.

There was a gate to walk through which was promising but the first part of this path was almost completely overgrown and I wandered all over the place trying to pick a way through the bracken, fallen trees and boggy ground. It was worth it when I noticed a snake slithering away from  my footsteps, just over a foot long at a guess. Boy, was it quick! I'd guess at a grass snake but I wouldn't know for sure given the speed at which it moved and the cover it was sliding through.

About half a mile in the path became perfectly fine with a couple more gates and proper signage which just made me wonder why the start was so poorly maintained. It led out into Sutton Holms where it switches direction completely to take you back into Boys Woods where I saw plenty of great tits, robins, a low flying buzzard and a swarm of bees about 15 feet up crawling over a scar running vertically along part of the trunk.

Busy Saturday

I was out before 9 on a bike ride to the allotment so I could get an early start on the list of activities for the day. Just needed to get the final bit of digging finished and a bit of watering too given the lack of rain recently, despite the relative cold. It didn't take too long and the plot is ready for raking and planting for the next few months. Very pleased with how it is all looking and coming on.

From there I went to Verwood to continue with the trellis for Joy and added the task of cutting the front and back lawns. By this time it was getting quite warm and it was lovely cycling back up the hill without that feeling of being under attack from the chilly wind.

After some lunch I was out again, cutting more lawns and cleaning the motorhome which had some green along the side which butts up against the hedge and makes it look a little uncared for. Looking much better now and a few accessories arrived too - an extending bar which fits the bathroom and allows you to hang things to dry in there, as well as 's' hooks which are for hanging things on the bar and in the bigger cupboard where we have tended to simply pile coats rather than hang them. 

There is also a door hanging tidy which is waterproof and ideal for the bathroom - face cloths, toiletries and so on. There are some adhesive hooks to replace the flimsy plastic towel holder and a basket to hold rubbish which slots over a door to keep it out of the way. All of them add a little bit of value in terms of convenience and saving space. Can't wait for the first of our trips next week, just the one night in west Devon.

There was time for a walk to the woods and then refilling the compost bin and tidying up the back garden before lighting the woodburner and watching a bit of football in the warm. 

A very full day but I got lots done and there's quite a few jobs of the to do list.

Haircut!

I had a list of things to do today and managed to tick them all off. That is a measure of a successful day, even when having to watch Everton and Tottenham try to lose to one another. 

I walked to my various destinations as I am still feeling tired from running and cycling without a rest day, which meant I recorded over 6.5 miles in the morning and pushed on from there. That was down to my trip to Verwood where I passed Clump Hill, photo 1, which was looking resplendent in the sunshine which belied how chilly it remains - there was another frost this morning.

Once at Joy's I put together one of the new arches to replace the gate and trellis in the back garden and then put it up and tied the climbers in which makes it look neat and tidy. I fixed the other gate which means I may put the trellis back up but we will see. 

It was then onto Verwood where I popped my head in the hairdresser's and struck lucky as I did not have an appointment but they managed to get my hair cut in between customers. Thank goodness. It was getting to the point where the clippers were going to emerge once again and I'd have a grade 1 or 2. That meant I could go to the library without having to hang around during their lunch hour and I had already got a gift for Alison's birthday having done a bit of hunting.

Lots of other jobs at home before cooking a curry and lighting the woodburner. Knackered but pleased with the day.

 

We've seen an otter in the wild!

What an exciting day that turned out to be. It was Amelia day but we also had Evie due to the Easter holidays, along with Bridie and Joseph, so we decided to bundle into the motorhome and set off to the allotment before going for a walk along the River Stour.

I'd done the walk on Tuesday having wanted to see if you could get from the allotment to Pamphill and so on. It is only across the road from the plot next to the housing development and such a great place to set out and get into the countryside quickly. We had soon seen nesting swans and little egrets, three in total including one preening and giving excellent views of its crest feathers, and further on there were the diving sand martins dipping into the water, a reed bunting and plenty of screeching black headed gulls.

The most exciting part though was being beckoned over by some other walkers to share in their views of an otter which was at the bank eating and diving wthout a care in the world. I was astonished at how relaxed it appeared and Maria managed to get some photos and a little video too. It was a magical moment.

We'd already spent some time on the allotment where Alison cooked us burgers in a bun and beans on toast whilst we got on with planting the second early potatoes, wilja, which will be ready by July. I gave the grass a strim, did some weeding and some other bits and pieces. It was such a pleasure to see how much the children enjoyed it too with their new patch requiring some work, digging, weeding and raking, and they set to it with enthusiasm, especially Joseph who seems to have benefitted from allotment clun at his First School in Cranborne where they held an after school club a couple of years back. 

He and Amelia went to the pump for some water which they enjoyed doing and spent a good deal of time watering all over the place, just loving being able to get stuck in. You can see Joseph wielding the rake energetically and looking to get it all ready for planting soon.

Memories

 

There were several memories which came up on my timeline on Amazon photos today and this one is from three years ago when Maria, Joseph and Bridie joined me at Dorchester Museum to see the skeleton of the dinosaur which was on tour at the time. They loved the museum and you can see just how excited they were.

Two years ago it looks like I cycled to Farnham near Tollard Royal which I remember being a cold ride of about 20 miles whilst last year there was a huge contrast when I must have cycled to the allotment under bright blue skies on empty roads. It was a long period of fantastic weather when the first lockdown began.

Harry Potter marathon got as far as 6 films with the final book split into two films left for Peggy and Maria to finish. We dropped Peggy off at Fareham this morning and I got on with jobs including the process of cashing in the remaining Prudential pension, applying for the Renewable Heat Initiative and cooking.

There was still time for a 6.3 mile run in an hour which was quite hard work, feeling tired after running or riding every day for weeks now but I listened to The Iliad which is drawing to a close, Hector having died at the hands of Achilles. The story is one of overly proud men commiting war crimes! It is incredibly blood thirsty and there is such cruelty, as well as the practice of enslavement and taking of women by the powerful and the victorious. I have been far more struck by this in listening to the story on Audible than I was when I read it many years ago.

Harry Potter

Peggy has stayed with us for a few extra days which meant the rest of the family took themselves down to Castlepoint to shop for some new clothes, taking advantage of the relaxation of restrictions, whilst I got on with various mundane tasks including sorting out the upstairs sink which has been emptying slowly, repairing an old bike Glen has brought home and rescuing a mouse from the cats. That required shifting all sorts of bits and pieces until it dashed out from under the freezer and into a strategically placed box which I took out over the road to release it unharmed.

The children then devoted themselves to Harry Potter films watching the first three in the series one after the other until bedtime. That gave me time to ride down to Verwood and back to return some library books which I've had since before Christmas due to lockdown and to make a tea of lasagne, chips, carrots, brocolli and a kind of ragu using up red cabbage, carrot, celery and onion. The ragu turned out ok but the children enjoyed the lasagne and chips part most, naturally! 

There was still time for a 5km run as well. 

Cooking on gas

It's been a busy weekend for sure. We had Joe and Kate with their two girls, Bridie and Joseph, Glen and Harry, Maria with the twins and Julie all over for lunch which I managed to get done despite having to cook several different meals requiring lots of pots and pans and the oven.

It was very similar today with a trip in the motorhome to Winton Rec with 5 adults and 5 children  to feed, including a gluten free option. I was very pleased with myself in managing it, even when Joe brought extra children along to eat with us too.

On the way we had more snow! It has been ridiculously cold in general through the holiday and snow seems to cap it off. I managed to motivate myself to get out for a 6 mile run listening to football on 5 Live.