Sluggish

So since we last spoke i've done a lot of walking. During the week i did my usual walks. At the weekend i was in London. Unfortunately my GPS doesn't work underground so it never got measured therefore i can't add it to my total.

Today was tough. I think it was to do with my post weekend slump. It was a mission to get my bum outside and then the walk was so hard. It's a walk i can usually do with absolutely no problem but boy did i suffer today.

At the start of my walk one of the railway engineers started chatting to me. He asked me if i was excited about having a double line. I told him as long as it improves services then it would be worth the disruption. I also had a little rant about the cost of having to replace lines that had been taken up years ago. I'm sure he regretted talking to me after that. I tried to be plesent despite my mood but i made a comment about being forced into the hedge as he drove passed. He apologised and i felt bad.

It has been raining all day so i took my brolly which must be the first time i've used it. On the way back it stopped raining but i expect it will start again.

The picture i took and have used was really to represent how i felt. Unfortunately i didn't see a slug so a snail will have to do.

I start back at work full time next week so i don't know how this is going to affect my walking. Hopefully it won't. I'm behind schedule as it is so i could do without any delays.

I haven't seen that dog on my latest walks. This i am happy about but i do get a little anxious that i'm suddenly going to have it's teeth clamped around my ankle.

Total so far: 408950
Total left to go: 591050

Visit http://www.justgiving.com/Tracey-Ashworth82 to donate.

Mad dog

After i wrote my blog on Sunday i decided to go for a walk. Not the most logical way of doing things i must admit.

It started out quite a nice walk. A fox ran out in front on me then quickly vanished when it saw me coming up the road. I hadn't seen any foxes and now i've seen two. Do you think it would work if i said i haven't seen any £50 notes lately? Wishful thinking. After the fox two bi-planes can spluttering overhead side by side. They were red and i wondered very very briefly what it would be like to wing walk. There is of course no way i will ever know because there isn't the money in the world that would make me do that. A strange thought that popped into my mind as they do. When i was coming down the hill a little dog started charging up the hill towards me. It was a shy little thing and went around me and carried on charging up the hill. A few minutes later i could hear the owner hollering it's name.

This is where things went slightly pear shaped for many reasons. As i was walking i noticed the stalky growly dog coming up the hill. I stopped and thought oh sugarcrumbs. This dog had already stalked me and run at me growling what the hell to do? The dog started coming up the hill and i walked very slowly looking away from it trying not to look a) a threat or b) scared. As we got closer the dog crossed over to the other side of the road and i started speaking in a nice voice as you should so i've found out after the incident. Just as i thought i was safe because we had passed the dog came charging at me teeth and all and went to bite. It was barking, growling, snarling and all i thought was get the hell out of there. It took all my energy not to run. I was shaking like a leaf and almost in tears and i didn't dare look back in case it was following me. Eventually i turned around and it had gone. I got to the river bridge and just sat there trying to calm down. After a while i did and carried on home.

It was about 10 metres into my walk home i realised i had dropped my glasses. I had my sunglasses on and my glasses in my pocket. I can't see without them and loads of cars had gone passed. I pressumed they were squashed. I started walking back up the hill frantically looking for them then it dawned on me, i may bump into that dog again. This stressed me out even more. After a short while i spotted my glasses and thankfully they were intact.

I got home a stressed out gibbering wreck. In my opinion that dog needs to be kept tied up or have a muzzle because it is bloody dangerous.

I'm pleased to say my walk today was very uneventful. I got my magazine and i had a sit down in a field. That i can cope with.

Total so far: 396750
Total left to go: 603250

Visit http://www.justgiving.com/Tracey-Ashworth82 to donate.

I'm not being lazy...honest

I have been walking! I may not be blogging but i am walking. It's very slack of me not to blog i know and i apologise. I've been for three walks since Tuesday but as they have been late in the evening i have chosen to store them up and write about them all in one go. Let's be honest there isn't a lot that can happen in a couple of miles so i would be writing hardly anything.

On Thursday as i was walking passed the the river before i had a chance to try and remain hidden i disturbed a heron. It was a big brute of a thing. They look large when they are flying but they are rather on the large side close up too. It took one look at me and made it's escape with what looked like a fish dangling from it's beak.

As i walked passed a driveway staring at my phone from behind came the bark of a dog which made me jump. When i turned around i realised it was stalky dog from the other day only today it was running full pelt growling at me. As you can imagine i was a little anxious i was about to lose an ankle or arm but it stopped and went away. This made me slightly nervous for the return journey so i tip toed passed the driveway in the hope stalky growly dog was safely locked in the house. Luckily for me it was.

On Friday there were plenty of people out and about including one chap jogging in a shirt. Who goes for a jog in shorts and a shirt? A country gentleman it would seem. I'm not having much luck with dogs. As i was walking up the hill there was a couple walking down with their black lab which as soon as he saw me came at me like a greyhound being released from it's cage. The woman hollered down the road 'Don't worry he's friendly. He just wants to say hello.' I thought yea you would say that, your not the one with a huge blur of black tearing towards you barking! Anyway this dog called Jerry according to his owners very kindly jumped up at me bearing his teeth in what i assume was not a friendly smile. I had a chat with his owners for a few minutes which was nice by which time he had calmed down as had i.

On Saturday not much happened apart from two idiots racing through the village with their music up so loud i could hear it 1/4 mile away. I did bump into one lady who i regularly see walking her dog. This time rather than the customary hello she actually struck up a conversation with me. So people are obviously getting used to seeing me wandering through the countryside on my rambles. It's nice talking to random strangers sometimes.

Total so far: 383790
Total left to go: 616210

Visit http://www.justgiving.com/Tracey-Ashworth82 to donate.

Troublesome tuesday

I struggled today i must admit. I went to get my magazine as per usual as it's tuesday and getting to the shop was fine. My legs seemed to be in perfect working order. I did spend rather a long time chatting to people in the village. It makes me wonder if i seized up a little during these chin wags.

On the way home i thought i would never make it. My left leg/ankle was so painful for reasons unknown to me. I did do a lot of walking last week so i wonder if it was putting up some sort of protest. Anyway i did get home, obviously as i am writing this and i don't tend to carry my laptop around with me.

It was a bit of a race against the clouds as well. There was a horrible darkness hovering above me and it did begin to spit. Like a seansoned walker i went equipped for every eventuality. I had sunglasses. I didn't think it was going to rain so i didn't take my waterproof jacket and fortunately for me it didn't rain because everything including myself would have got rather wet.

Yesterday i went for an evening stroll. It was nice. I wasn't stalked by any strange dogs nor did i see any interesting wildlife. Actually i didn't see anything so it was a little boring.

Total so far: 372210
Total left to go: 627790

Visit http://www.justgiving.com/Tracey-Ashworth82 to donate.

Ever feel like your being followed?

I went for a walk yesterday as i tend to do at the minute. It was only a short walk which has become quite normal at the moment. When i don't feel like going for a longer stroll i tend to go for a short one. Since it's become the norm for me now i feel a bit guilty if i don't go for a walk at all so a shorter stroll eases that guilt a little.

Anyway i was wandering along minding my own business when i suddenly felt like i was being followed and i could hear a tapping noise behind me. Feeling suddenly nervous i turned around tentatively and there about five metres behind me was a scruffy looking dog. As soon as i turned around the dog also stopped. I thought ignore it and carry on so i did. A little further on i stopped and turned around and the dog was still there and it stopped dead in it's tracks again. I have no idea where it had come from because there was nobody around. I felt like i was being hunted and it was waiting to pounce. I had two options going through my mind as i carried on walking further than i intended, keep walking for another 5.5 miles or turn and walk back towards the dog. In the end i decided to turn around and walk towards the dog but it had gone. It vanished as mysteriously as it appeared.

As i neared home i saw my first fox hurrying along the edge of a field. I had seen something on the road from a distance which looked fox like so i assume it was the same one.

Today on my walk there were a few cyclists out and about. I really fancy getting on my bike but i'm a bit paranoid i might fall off and i really don't need any more injuries at the minute. There were five male ducks on the river but i didn't see the mother and her ducklings. It was a bit spitty as well. There were rain clouds above but fortunately they only threw out a few drops of rain. As i got to the railway bridge i stopped to have a look at the on going works and there was a deer creeping away into the bushes. I hadn't noticed it as i had walked passed and i wasn't quick enough to get my camera out and take a picture. It was very close for a deer so it would have been a decent picture unlike all of my other attempts.

Total so far: 359480
Total left to go: 640520

Visit http://www.justgiving.com/Tracey-Ashworth82 to donate.

The wrong trousers

I went for a short stroll yesterday which was nice. At the river i saw the little ducklings briefly as their mother hurried them off to safety. One of them got left behind and was chirping rather loudly but finally managed to catch up with the rest of the brood. I only walked a couple of miles. It was my first day back at work yesterday and to be honest i was a little tired. If i'd have sat down for too long i would have probably nodded off which was another reason i went for a short stroll.

Today i went for a longer walk as i had a day off. Yes i know i've only been back at work one day but that's just the way it is. There were a lot of ominous looking black clouds hovering overhead but nothing came of them. It was deceptively warm as well, despite the the clouds and wind.

I usually wear jeans when i go for a walk. Today i chose to wear my combat type trousers as they are made of thinner material. There was one problem i had not forseen when i made this decision. The whole walk i either had them hanging around my bum like a youth hanging around the enterance to Co-op with his gang, pulling them up or my hands firmly wedged in my pockets in an attempt to keep them up. Let's just say it did not make my walk a pleasurable experience. Next time i shall dig out a belt or stick to my jeans which i know stay in the right place.

Total so far: 352100
Total left to go: 647900

Visit http://www.justgiving.com/Tracey-Ashworth82 to donate.

Doubling up

It appears at the moment i am saving my walks and writing about them in bulk. I have done it a couple of times and today is another one of those days.

Yesterdays stroll was an early evening affair. I managed to get home without having to walk through clouds of flying critters. I did however get blinded by the setting sun. This is not helpful when you are walking along a road for obvious reasons. I saw a squirrel for the first time (i think) but unfortunately it had met a grizzly end.

Today i thought it was going to rain so i put my waterproof jacket on and guess what? It didn't rain. I bet any money if i had not worn it i would have got soaked. At one point i went to get out of the way of an oncoming car and nearly landed backwards in a ditch. Unbeknown to me under the long grass was a hole which i proceeded to put my foot it. Fortunately my excellent poise and balance stopped me from getting a bruised bottom. Ah, my favourite stalker the RAF helicopter was back today. He came passed with his wheels lowered and was 10 metres if that from the road. It was lower than the trees. I must say it was a very quiet helicopter usually it roars across the sky.

Like most Tuesdays i walked to the shop to get my magazine and had a natter whilst i was there. There seemed to be a mothers meeting going on at the garage so i stopped there as well and had a chat.

In other news i found a squashed baby grass snake (sad face).

Total so far: 343510
Total left to go: 656490

Visit http://www.justgiving.com/Tracey-Ashworth82 to donate.

It's 15 years since my grandad died. A long time has passed but i still miss him. The bluebells in my picture are for him.

Bungee jumping caterpillars

I've been quiet for a wee while. That's not to say i haven't been walking because i have. I just haven't blogged about it. Sometimes there is just nothing to say.

I went for a quick walk the other day which was uneventful. It was an unplanned early evening stroll. To be honest it wasn't too nice because all of the flying bugs had come out to play. Although it was nice temperature wise.

On friday i went to Oxford and i did a fair amount of walking but i didn't have my walking gadget turned on. Due to that i have no idea how far i walked so i can't add the valuable miles to my total. We live and learn.

Today was pretty windy but still quite warm. Apparently it was meant to rain but i haven't seen any dark clouds in the sky. Of that i am grateful after my soaking last week when i got caught in a thunder storm.

I got out of the way of an oncoming car and something caught my eye in the hedge. I went in for a closer look and it looked like a spiders nest type web but had these black stringy things on it. Being brave i got closer and discovered loads of tiny caterpillars on it. I was quite pleased it wasn't a nest of baby spiders. There are already too many of those eight legged freaks around.

On the subject of caterpillars, i was walking down the road and something else caught my eye. It looked like something floating in the air, which it was. I thought it was just a bit of leaf but the way it was floating around made me look closer. It was a caterpillar. Unless you got very close to it you wouldn't of seen the almost invisible caterpillar rope it was dangling from. It was as though it had just done a bungee jump and was waiting to be reeled back in. I tried to take a picture of it but it was moving around in the air so much i couldn't focus on it. Even so you can still see the blur of the caterpillar floating in the photo.

In other news i found a tiny Ugg boot and i got covered in mud trying to take a photo.

Total so far: 331830
Total left to go: 668170

Visit http://www.justgiving.com/Tracey-Ashworth82 to donate.

It's all lies

So after a couple of days off i'm back to work. Sunday was spent watching the BTCC again and i went to the theatre to see Uncaged Monkeys which was excellent. I got to see Prof Brian Cox which made my day. No i'm not a nerd. Yesterday was a bank holiday and that is my only excuse for my bone idleness.

Any to the matter in hand. Now my left arm is free of it's casing i am on a mission to get it the same colour as my right. This is of course a shade of white marginally darker than Daz white.

There were plenty of bugs around today and i almost had a huge flying thing in my mouth. Luckily my mouth was shut at the particular moment the flying critter dive bombed my face.

Right now i have an issue. This saying that says when cows lie down it is going to rain is my problem. Everytime i walk passed the cows they are lying down. Now there are two options here, either the cows are incredibly lazy or it's poppycock. Actually forget the either, it's just poppycock. From now on if i see cows lying down i shall just assume they are sunbathing unless of course it is raining.

I was on form with the talking to myself today. In fact i actually told myself off for talking to myself too much. I'm not a crazy...honest.

Total so far: 322170
Total left to go: 677830

Visit http://www.justgiving.com/Tracey-Ashworth82 to donate.