The group I'm doing the sponsored walk with in June went for another stroll yesterday. It was near Dunphail and was 16.3 miles, 4 hours 28 mins walking, 1 hour 11 mins stops (vast improvement...) 780 feet ascent, 3.1 mph average. All went rather well, thoroughly enjoyed the company, there was a larger than usual group, twelve of us most of the time although one joined late and left early and another pair started with us and took a short cut. Ended in a rather civilised fashion sitting around a huge bench in Bab's back garden with tea, coffee and fresh scones with strawberry jam. Lush. Gluteus Maximus was complaining a bit this morning from scrambling up the side of the viaduct, but apart from that, not bad at all.
All in all, an extremely enjoyable day. I'll post the group photograph as soon as I can find the leads for the camera. Found them! From the left Delilah (Derek), Roseanne, Alison, Alfie, the back of Veerla's head, Angela, Sally, Judith, Babs's dog I've forgotten the name of, Babs and Jo. (I'm the sensible one taking the photograph. Delilah offered to take photographs of all the 'ladies' and I accidentally told him to press the wrong button, so there isn't one with me in it. Ha!)
New things have been winging their merry little way to me. Everything but one item I ordered is here. The one item, the one I was most excited about, is currently out of stock. Everywhere including the manufacturers. So, I either wait until September, when it will become available again, or find an alternative. It was my luxury item, a down jacket, Montane's Anti-Freeze. I hate being cold of an evening when I've stopped walking for the day and this fitted the bill, cosy, highly water resistant and even looked nice (practical often doesn't look pretty and that has to come bottom of the list of requirements, even for a girl!). Having done a lot of research on this, I know there's not much else out there that tickled my fancy. Pants. I'm gonna have to be patient. I don't do patient. Ask the children!
Anyway, the Montane Dynamo soft shell and Montane Quattro are exactly as imagined and fit the bill, so it's a start. Mustn't wear them too much and wear them out before the main event, but I like new kit and I like using it, pretty pointless other wise! The titanium spork? Well, I just had to. I don't have any backpacking cutlery, I usually pinch David's, so now I do! Best excuse I could come up with.
Had another parcel too, but that was for my other passion, cooking, so is completely irrelevant apart from the impact it has on my fitness and training...
(And Conall had parcels too, it's his birthday, 8 years old today. Speaking of cooking, got a cake to bake!)
