Pterodactyl

Well today i felt like i could walk for miles and miles. The other day i could barely walk anywhere. That could possibly be because my other walks have been after work and today i have done absolutely nothing.

I've seen a lot of bambie's around lately. Yesterday i got quite close to one but it ran off before i could sort my camera out. They are proper deer not these muntjac things.

I haven't been savaged by that dog on my recent walks. To be fair i haven't seen the devil dog. I have been taking my hiking stick with me just in case still. It has made me quite anxious about walking in certain places. I don't really want to come face to face with it again. I like my limbs as they are thanks.

The other day on one of my walks i was just walking home from the river bridge when i looked up to the sky. The was a huge bird flying above me. When i say huge i mean huge. I have not seen a bird that big. Anyway initially i thought it was a pterodactyl but then i realised that was a laughable thought. It turned out to be a heron.

It was extremely windy today but when the wind dropped it was like standing in an oven. I wore a jumper because it looked a bit bleak outside but i wish i hadn't. I should have worn a hat though. I may have caught the sun a little. Where did that phrase come from?

Total so far: 425050
Total left to go: 574950

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Feeling hot, hot, hot

Well my walk started off very well today. First of all i stood on a rock which i nearly went over on but kicked it forward so ended up standing on it again. The last thing i need is a twisted ankle. Then two pugs decided to nip at my ankles. Cute as they are they are not when they are under your feet trying to nibble at your legs. Finally a bee manage to navigate passed my sunglasses and hit me in the eye. Fortunately it wasn't bottom end first, that would've hurt.

It was very hot today. I didn't wear a hat because i thought that being gone 4pm it would be okay. How wrong i was. Most of the way home i was walking into the sun and it was giving me a wicked headache. I managed to hide away under some trees eventually. If i feel as hot as i did today when i'm in Brunei i am screwed. It was 20 odd degrees and i was struggling. It's not looking good.

The cows that were laid down yesturday were in the river in what i assume was some sort of attempt to cool down. I don't blame them it did look cool and refreshing but there's no way you'd find me paddling in a river.

I wonder if this making me shrink at all or speeding up the shrinking process?

Total so far: 277230
Total left to go: 722770

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Yellow

One thing that i have noticed in the last few weeks is that the fields and grass verges are becoming increasingly yellow. They are covered in dandelions. It did make me wonder if dandelion and burdock is actually made with dandelions? Plus what is burdock? I think this is a case for wikipedia. Yellow is definately a spring colour what with the daffodils, dandelions and rape seed.

Today i actually came across someone riding a horse on a bridle path for the first time. There are loads of horses around where i live so i would have thought i'd have seen more. In fact i haven't seen many people riding.

I came across a couple of dogs which were soaking wet and i could see that look in their eyes. I thought don't even think about it. I had visions of them both bouncing over and jumping up at me. Fortunately they stayed well away.

My walking shoes may have come to the end of their life. They are very comfortable but i'm getting some evil blisters from them. I may have to invest in some new ones to save my feet. Well i say feet i only get blisters on one of my feet. I must walk funny?

In other news, today was the first day i went for a walk without a hat on.

Total so far: 266670
Total left to go: 733330

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Quackers

Another pretty uneventful days strolling.

A car came at me at some speed so i did my best to get onto the practically vertical grass bank next to me. It's not like i'm invisible. I do worry that one of these days i'm going to get mowed down by some idiot. In the mean time i do my best to keep out of their way. My excursion left me bleeding as i lost my footing and went sideways with my hand landing on some sort of thorny plant. At least i didn't land on my bad hand, now that would have been annoying.

There were lots of ducks about today. I don't know where they have all come from. In one of the fields i crossed there was a male and female. I managed to get relatively close before they flew off in a panic. You might be able to see the duck shaped dots in my picture.

In other news i was walking along when i heard one of those shepherdy type whistles and a dog running at full pelt appeared from the hedge just in front of me. Honestly it doesn't do my nerves any good when things like that happen.

Total so far: 261390
Total left to go: 738610

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250,000

Today i went passed the 250,000 metre mark! I'm a quarter of the way there!

It was a largely uneventful walk. My main aim was to get to the shop and buy my magazine. I got there and i couldn't find it but it was just hiding. I'm not going to say what it is because it's my secret indulgence. I resisted the temptation to buy cake this time. Is it possible i am developing some will power?

The lambs in the field are so cute. I stood looking over the hedge at a couple lazing in the shade. Their mum saw me and started bleating like nobodies business. I think she thought i was a threat even though i was miles away. Anyway she started looking mean and eyeballing me so i moved on and left them in peace.

There was a chap talking his dog for a walk and it was lovely. I didn't know what breed it was so i asked and he told me it was a Red Setter. What a gorgeous creature he was. The dog not the chap.

In other news a small yappy type dog came at me and i swallowed a fly.

Total so far: 256130
Total left to go: 743870

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Pinch, Punch, 1st of the month

Well we are in March already! This year seems to be going quickly.

I went for a stroll today as it was chucking down with rain yesturday. It was very windy though and deceptively cold.

It's been a few days since i last went for a wander so i did feel it a little going up the hills. That'll teach me for having a break.

There wasn't really anything interesting today. I passed a couple of joggers, not my thing running. There was a massive dog paw print in the mud the size of my hand. I kid you not, it was huge. Well i presume it was a dog, you never know with all these big cat sightings.

I did think it might rain but fortunately it didn't although i did have my trusty carrier bag to stick over my arm if it did. When i got home i discovered that said carrier had holes in it. That would have been interesting.

Total so far: 115140
Total left to go: 884860

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