A-Z Challenge Day 18 - Rambling

On to day 18,  brought to you by the Letter R, which gives me a perfect excuse to go rambling on about nothing in particular. Our Greenpatch rambling has taken a back seat these last few years. My intention was to link back to accounts of some of the more epic journeys we've made in our time, however, my labeling system obviously isn't up to scratch; searches for 'rambling,' and 'backpacking,' didn't yield anything, and walking references seem largely to be dealing with walking of a more spiritual variety - labyrinths and the like. Worth a peep though. The photo is from those taken during our Durham-Oban/Iona walking pilgrimage in 2011.

Then again, today's letter gives me yet another reason, given yesterday's news, to point towards another great sketch from the late Victoria Wood - Val De Ree. Camping...rambling...they're both linked, aren't they and it never fails to make me smile.

Summer Days

Bank Holiday Monday Wanderings

Greenpatch dog and I have been working on our fitness levels over the bank holiday. I've also been working on his barkiness levels, in the hopes that he'll be too worn out to entertain the neighbours with his usual melifluous singing.  Here he is wandering over  the Moors...

...through  the churchyard...or was it the other way round? There used to be sheep grazing here, but although we looked hard, we couldn't find any this time. Shame, they're much more fun than a lawnmower! We paused for a refreshment stop halfway at a tap with doggy bowl thoughtfully provided.   At least, I assume it's intended for passing doggies. Either that or we've been using up the church flower ladies' supplies.  I could have done with an icecream myself,  only you don't tend to find icecream vans in the middle of the Lambourn Valley way, unfortunately.

Never mind, onwards ever onwards, dodging passers-by out watching for the few remaining craft from the annual raft race. Home at last...GP collapses; GP dog is still raring to go! 

Lucky dip canine style. Guess who wasted an hour this afternoon searching the town for play balls? Hide his tea amongst these and you can buy yourself at least two minutes P and Q!

Last but not least....who would have guessed that  the childrens' old play tent would be given a new lease of life  as a doggy des-res, dtchd, and ld to lwn? 

Next project: Convert old collapsible garden bin into a Fido play tunnel, site next to high jump (broom balanced on a couple of upturned flowerpots), and open my own little agility business!

Epitaphs and Inscriptions - Who Was Bill Lobban?

Cairn, Loch Lomond, East side, Durham-Iona Pilgrimage 2011

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13 King James Version (KJV)

As I trawled though our pilgrimage photos yesterday in search of  something to use for a blog banner, I came across a couple  of pictures which I'm sure tell a story. This cairn and the accompanying inscription can be found not far from the Inversnaid Hotel on the Eastern shores of Loch Lomond. Not an easy stretch, with it's craggy twists and turns up and down from the shoreline; our experience of that section wasn't pleasant;  even experienced walkers appreciate the need to treat  this particular section of the West Highland Way (22Km, I think, if you take it in one hop) with great  respect.  We walked  it in several stages, our mileage that particular day being  one of the shortest in the entire trip - about 6 miles, but it was the hardest 6 miles we've ever done,  struggling through  rain and mist, only getting to the far end just in time to catch the last   ferry across to Ardlui. I say, 'ferry,' it's a small boat, which you hail by raising a buoy up a mast on the shore. By that stage, there is no road at all; if you miss the boat, your only options are either to retrace your steps right back to Inversnaid or  spend the night in a nearby bothy. (not 4 star accomodation, I can tell you, we checked!) 

Who was Bill Lobban then? What tale of heroism lies behind this inscription? I guess we'll never know. I'm not the first to ask; a quick web search shows that  many  walkers have discovered this memorial over the years,  wondered about the events of 23rd November 1975, and received no answer. His isn't the only tragedy to take place along the lochside; apparently the Inversnaid Hotel knew of two other walkers who died nearby more recently, but of Bill, nothing. Passing it, in the pouring rain and mist, just as we were about to begin the climb upwards was both a humbling and a sobering experience. Like     that of Henry West, the human story behind this simple memorial seems destined to remain unknown and untold, except, perhaps to those closest to those it commemorates. Rest in Peace, Bill Lobban, whoever you were. I guess that inscription says it all.

Recycled Blogroll: The Passionate Transitory

Approaching Hadrian's Wall Walk: Durham-Iona Pilgrimage April 2011

For the poets amongst you - thanks to Pilgrimpace for highlighting a new site: The Passionate Transitory, new online poems about life, landscape, travel and pilgrimage.

Spider web

Wetland wildlife, Bagnor Estate 31 July 2012

Bagnor Estate, 31 July 2012

Spider's web spotted during this morning's walk through the Bagnor Estate.  We skirted round the wetlands shown in the top photo; it's been raining on and off today and we were wet enough as it was. We'll maybe try another time once we've worked out the route and can do the full circuit round the estate from The Watermill back round to the Blackbird Inn. (Well-behaved dogs allowed!). We had a very nice bite to eat there as well. We're now safely back home in dry clothes whilst Greenpatch dog is taking forty well-earned winks.

What has come into being in him was life

4 May 2011 - Balmaha to Rowardennan, Durham-Iona pilgrimage

1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.

John 1:1-14 NRSV

Waundrynge heere, theyre ande everiewheyre

Start and finish - The Swan at Wilton

Is that rain I can see?

Ye olde Roman Road

Wilton to Crofton

Mr GP and Greenpatch dog stride forth.

Crofton Pumping Station

Our exercise for the week; a walk out into the wilds of Wiltshire earlier today. If you wondered at the faux Middel Englisshe  in the post title, this is a reference to an epic trip we made in 2010. This morning we revisited one of the places we hiked through then.

Journeying in the City

'Footsteps'  

Whilst we're talking labyrinths and journeys, I couldn't resist posting this short animation, made by my daughter and friends.

Blessings - 100 Things that bring me life

Now what will I do with the ten extra blessings?

47. Bluebells! We have bluebells poking their heads up through the grass in  the meadow front garden.
48. ... where did that tiny clump of forget-me-nots come from?
49.  And after a long, wet, muddy sploshy walk with GP dog this morning, the GP vertebrae are back to their normal selves...almost.