Escaping the crowd

One of the chief stressors these days comes from the number of people - and dogs - taking exercise, as if the sanctioning of such activity in the government guidelines for the lockdown makes this mandatory rather than recommended. So it came as a great relief on this glorious day to find that by going out in the morning we could find ... this. It could be anywhere, but in fact we reached this deserted hillside on foot from our back door.

The forestry activity in our local hills has brought about changes over the years, with planting and harvesting and replanting - not to say the felling of an entire hillside by a tornado a few years back - removing paths that were utterly familiar and changing landmarks like firebreaks and wooded gullies. On this walk I was delighted to be able to recognise one of my favourite walks in the 1980s, when my walking companion and I got lost more times than you could credit but not only found but sometimes created paths and landmarks. 

I can't say how much better I felt after steady climbing took my heart rate way above resting and warmed me to the point of walking in a t shirt and thin trousers. We sat on a log and shared an energy bar - sitting is surely still allowed in the wild? - and headed home to a late lunch in the garden. I spent the rest of the afternoon there, with a book and the odd phone call. Soon we shall have to take the car out for a short journey - it's not moved for over a week. Apparently this is not good. 

And I've developed hay fever. It must be Spring right enough ...