Inspirational

So there I was, plodding along up the track along the side of the Bonsai Mountain and onto the Ridge, my fellow commuters were sheep (two badger faced ones which were new) and my fellow foot slogger Rocky panting away by my side.

Signs of life down in the valley but up on the ridge the Rockmeister and I had it all to ourselves.

And then we spotted Mandy.

Never met her before, will more than likely never meet her again, but what an inspiration she was. Slogging her way up to the ridge line, huge pack with tango rain cover, obviously not out for a stroll. Me in my usual inquisitorial style had to know who why where when and so after a cheery "Hello" dived in with the looks like your set for a major expedition, walking far. Now I expected a Offa's Dyke response, as we were both on the track designated Offa's Dyke but this section is about as Dykish as a rugby pitch. John O'Groats to Lands End. Thats a top trump answer (see our meeting with the top trump walkers in the great TODO) So many questions to ask, but in essence, answers were, day 28, 15 to 20 a day, hope to finish end Sept, carrying all gear so camping out, made redundant so got the time to do it, loving it, mostly and feeling good about the whole venture. Amazing. The Jogle is on my to do list, but time wont allow even an insane attempt on bikes planning 100 miles a day. The great TODO was 30 a day on foot for 6 days, half an idea to do that again, all 180 but in 5 days, do able, but boring, done it. So nows the time to announce that all being well solstice next year will be spent doing the OTT, or the Over The Top, where yours truly and a select few are going to walk from John O'Groats to Cape Wrath, bivvying on the beaches, in 5 days or less. Raising money again for Prostate Cancer Research. Meanwhile good luck to Mandy, what an epic adventure!

Shear fun in the real world!

Back in the real world, the one where Tracey has had to do all the work while I stroll around the countryside with my friends, there is lots of work to be done. Yesterday passed slowly as I recovered from the exertions of the trek, both feet had swelled from bruising so I spent a jolly day with them in a bucket of cold water reading and drinking a few beers. We went to The Harp to celebrate and had the usual fantastic meal, once again David cooked a steak that could not be surpassed in any way shape or form.


Sunday dawned, along with a new batch of aches and pains but the shearing had to be done so no more lounging in the garden. Typically instead of being in the yard for breakfast the Ryelands were all over the place so very slowly the round up began. By the time this butch itinerant shearer arrived we were missing last years lambs, Sandy, Hercules, Maude and Bonny, two ewes, Roxy and Ebony and our Suffolk cross, Meg. Tracey volunteered to walk around the hill to seek them out whilst I kept up a steady supply of tea and chocolate hob nobs for the Shearer Man. Some of you may recognise him, for he is famous, not for being the sheep equivalent of Vidal Sassoon but for being the captain of Hereford Rugby Club.

Whilst Tracey was doing the Bo Peep bit he manfully wrestled the sheep and gave them their annual short back and sides, all the time keeping them calm by singing to them (see photos above and below)

Tracey returned with the missing flockers apart from Meg. Now we have already lost three Suffolks since we have been here, see postings for M.I.A.s to read the full story, and again it looked like Meg was now M.I.A and probably on her way to a pie filling plant, caught up in the annual roundup.

Job done the Shearer Man waived his fee donating it to the Prostate Cancer charity, a big gesture as the amount would have bought him five miles, so many thanks Pritch, you cant sing but you are a generous soul.

Once the sheep were over their trauma they wandered off, cooler if not happy.

Early this evening I took Mad Keith his dinner. Whilst we were chatting a lone sheep wandered down the trail towards the rest of our flock gathered on the technohermits lawn. Meg had returned, safe and crustless. She now has a choice, stay hot all summer or allow me to shear her by handshears, and does anyone remember how that turned out our first year?

Take a horse to water

This picture shows you can, Apollo is "helping" fill the plastic boat that doubles as their water trough. Admittedly his help entails knocking the pipe out of the boat forcing yours truly to march back up the hill to put it back before racing back down again to out the other end back on the tap. The too and fro antics could be stopped by the judicious application of a jubilee clip one end and a sharp smack on the nose at the other. Until then the game continues until either the boat fills, Apollo gets bored or I keel over from exhaustion.

Still its all good training for The Great To Do, walking Offas Dyke in 6 days. The news that I am contemplating this trek has had a strange effect on our neighbours. The Oracle when he heard dug deep into his pocket and handed over a well worn fiver as a contribution. I had to promise not to spend it in the first pub I came across along the trail before he let go of it completely.

Mad Keith spotted the Prostate Cancer T shirt I was wearing when I dropped off his chicken and chips tonight. This sparked a fascinating exploration of his medical history which included graphic details of several operations, hugely interesting facts that he got up 8 times in the night to pee and several medical diagrams scratched into the dirt to illustrate certain technical points. During his gleeful descriptions I wondered how my chicken and chips eaten half an hour earlier was managing to remain in place and not add a Technicolour aspect to his anatomical drawings.

By the time I got back to Rock HQ the technohermit had phoned ahead and promised Tracey some money to support the walk as he saw it as ultimately helping him with his little problem. She did look pale when I walked in. It seems Mad Keith had been equally graphic on the phone. I had seen the diagrams and if too scale it was anything but a little problem.

Tough Day

I had planned to get some more miles under my belt today ready for next weeks Big Black Mountain Challenge, 44k across, well, the Black Mountains. This is just a stroll compared to the 178 miles in June, the great To Do, or The Offas Dyke ordeal, and I should have trained for it today especially after eating a fantastic meal last night at our local, The Harp Inn, Old Radnor http://www.harpinnradnor.co.uk/.

Here we were treated once again to an outstanding meal, Dave cooks the best steak ever, they just cannot be beaten and if you finish your meal off with some of Jenny's chocolate fudge brownies it would suffice as the last meal for a condemned man, unbeatable. Then there is the beer, and so you can see why I should have got up on the hills today.

Instead, well I boosted the defences on Goatanamo, the adults are now contained but somehow the kids still find a way out. The smallholders rule where an animal can get through a hole exactly half its body size does not apply to them, they can get through the tiniest breech in the defences and then rampage around the garden sampling everything they shouldn't.

I showed a member of pig club around Rock HQ, they met all the crew but the pigs were top of their wish to meet list and then sampled some of the finest pork ever served in a roll with apple sauce. This had to be washed down with more beer, well the sun was shining so its rude not to and one of the pups decided I needed a hand, see above. But the rolls and beers were more reasons why I should have trained today.

I did manage a bit of gardening, but as that involved collecting tomato plants grown for me by a local expert it hardly counts. He did tell a few of his secrets which I hope will boost the produce from the greenhouses this year which has so far been disappointing unless you count monster slugs, plenty of those.

A friend gave us a load of Prostate Cancer promotional items today so I set about the task of raising more sponsorship money. The plan to sell the miles, all 178 of them has been well received by people I have spoken to about it, you buy a mile for £10, when your mile is walked you get a thank you text and your mile and name listed on this site the day its walked. As I was responding to an e mail from Channel 4 responding to their plan to make me the new Jimmy of Jimmy's farm fame I decided the day was over so rather than exercise I sent dozens of e mithers about The Great To Do, and hopefully I will sell all 178 before we set off on the 7-6-09.

JJ bought two miles and said he would pay £15 per mile if I ran them, obviously a sadistic streak mixed in with his generosity but it will be done.

Proper training starts tomorrow when the beer runs out.

I can see our house from here!

Today I achieved a long held ambition, well an ambition held since we moved to Rock HQ anyway. We are surrounded by the most amazing scenery and today I walked to our horizon and looked back.

It goes without saying that I am dog tired right now after some 20 miles in seven hours, five of which were in horrible weather, the majority of which was across country.

But Sara and I did it and found the standing stones that are only four miles from Rock HQ but have been particularly hard to find as they are situated right next to a main road and clearly visible for miles. How I managed to miss these for the last two years is beyond me and provided a great source of amusement to my walking buddy.

Why did we do this walk today, well its part of a strict training schedule to prepare ourselves for a 178 mile walk in June which we hope to complete in seven days or less. Sara is like the Duracell bunny on acid, totally unstoppable and extremely fit. I used to be able to keep up but as I have fallen victim to middle age spread I struggle to keep to the pace.

The walk is named The Great To Do, or The Offas Dyke Ordeal. Chepstow to Prestatyn via Rock HQ which lies almost on the path around the mid point. I am doing it to raise money for Prostate Cancer Charities.

How we fare, well watch this space!