 |
| Blake Mere - The Mermaid's Pool |
In the past two weeks my walking activity has been greatly curtailed by wet weather. I was like a tiger in his cage pacing up and down, growling at passers by in their sou'westers and galoshes. You can imagine how relieved I was when I learnt that dry weather and sunshine was predicted for Monday.
 |
| Triangulation pillar at Merryton Low |
I planned a ten mile route in northern Staffordshire. Sensibly, this ramble would include six or seven miles on quiet tarmacked lanes - selected because of the amount of rain that has already fallen this month. I knew that there would be some very muddy paths and fields.
God it was good to be out there on a chilly but sunlit day. Naturally I had my trusty "Sony" bridge camera with me. I saw many wonderful things including a herd of wild roe deer.
By three o'clock the light was already fading. I had just paid a call of nature behind an old stone barn. Rather than retracing my steps, I decided to advance along the adjacent field boundary hoping to spot a way through the fence and then get back on the road.
Big mistake. I found myself in a marshy area with large grassy clumps and evidence of churning by cattle. I hopped nimbly from grassy clump to grassy clump hoping to keep my boots dry. And then I lost my footing. Not only were both feet suddenly shin deep in muddy water with the boots inundated but I fell over like a clown. Good job there were no blog commenters watching from the fence. They would have been killing themselves with laughter
 |
| Royal Mail van near Round Knowl |
Soon after the catastrophe in the cow field , I got through the fence - back onto the quiet country road. Two or three vehicles and a cyclist passed by - probably fearful of The Beast from the Swamp who was walking back to the village of Warslow in setting November sunlight - leaving a trail of mud behind him.
Fortunately there was a spare pair of socks in Clint's capacious boot (American: trunk).
 |
| Big Fernyford Farm |
Beautiful blue sky and a Mermaid's Pond. No Mermaid's?
ReplyDeleteThere was one. She was smoking a cigarette.
DeleteI have to ask, how does she keep her smokes dry:)
DeleteYeah. There's something fishy about that.
DeleteThank you for making me laugh. I needed that!
DeleteI have been so neglectful of my walking routine. Whenever I think about getting out there and doing it I think of you and your country rambles and I feel as if my walking places are so inferior that, well...what's the point?
ReplyDeleteBut I absolutely have to start up again. Ten miles is something I can barely aspire to but three or four are doable. And I promise you that I will not fall over in a cow field. I answer my calls of nature in places far less perilous. There are only snakes and poison ivy and so forth.
I can appreciate that outdoor rest room visits could potentially be more hazardous in Florida. One's activity could easily be interrupted by a cop with a gun shouting "Freeze!" But when you gotta go you gotta go!
DeleteOh, I'm sure a little mud never hurt a rugged Yorkshireman like yourself! :) 10 miles is quite a feat. Good for you.
ReplyDeleteLittle mud? Hell, I weighed several more pounds after emerging from that quagmire!
DeleteSo where on earth are YOUR sou'wester and rainboots?? I'm sure you could pick them up at the charity shop for a pittance, and then you wouldn't have to pass up your walks!
ReplyDeleteAh, mud. Nothing quite like it for a facial. Nothing quite like avoiding it when walking - especially alone. When are you going to get a cell phone? One day it may be too late!
I will get a cell phone when they lock me in a cell.
DeleteAnd there you are...wanting the rain to stop...thankful it has. And here we are down here wanting....desperately wanting the rain to arrive to douse the raging bushfires - to break the drought...to give relief to our primary producers...our farmers and graziers.
ReplyDeleteYour perseverance during your walks is admirable, Mr. Pud. good on you! :)
Over here we are seeing news of the smoky fog over Sydney. Terrible.
Deletedid you say that you had stopped in a village pub on this walk???
ReplyDeleteYou are impugning my character you colonial bounder!
DeleteHa Ha!I'm cheeky too!
DeleteWell, I'm glad you finally got a walk in but the next time maybe you should do your swimming in the Mermaid Pond instead of the swamp! Beautiful pictures especially the first two, I love the expanse of the background.
ReplyDeleteAutumn light in northern England can be special and I was very pleased with that photograph of Blake Mere. I had never seen it before and didn't even know it existed.
DeleteYou got some beautiful pictures, despite the wet feet! I've been in similar situations on some of my walks -- suddenly unsure whether to go backwards or forwards, with acres of mud and/or water around. It's part of the challenge, right?
ReplyDeleteIt's in moments like that that one feels like Indiana Jones.
DeleteThank you for having braved the mud so that you could take such beautiful pictures for us!
ReplyDeleteI promise I wouldn't have laughed, had I been standing at the fence and watching you fall. Maybe I would have chuckled a bit, but definitely not laughed.
Hopefully Clint was not too miffed with you for mounting him covered in mud.
Opening his headlights to see me returning, Clint said, "Watch my upholstery you dirty beggar!"
DeleteI replied, "I own you! Now clear the windscreen and let's go!"
Yup, I would love to have seen you fall over in that mud. Sorry, I know I'm a bad person and I don't want anyone to get hurt, but I just find it so funny when people tumble.
ReplyDeleteIf a YouTuber or Vlogger had posted footage of my fall it would have gone viral on the internet. "How The Mighty Are Fallen". Shirley has already laundered everything.
DeleteThey say that a mud pack is good for the complexion. Do you look younger today Mr P?
ReplyDeleteIf I looked any younger I would be a baby!
DeleteHow fortunate that you had a spare pare of trunks in Clint's capacious boot.
ReplyDeleteAs it happens I had a spare pair of boots in the trunk. Why would anybody imagine that the storage space at back end of a car looks anything like an elephant's proboscis?
DeleteJust thank your lucky stars you didn't break a leg.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your concern Graham.
DeleteAre your knees OK?
ReplyDeleteNo problem just now sis! Thanks for remembering and asking.
DeleteA few songs to sing when wading through mud (originally by the band Mudness): It Must Be Mud, One Step Beyond, Muddy Trousers, Grey Day, The Sun and the Rain, One Better Day, Mudness.
ReplyDelete