Wednesday, 29 February 2012

The upside of down

I had noticed that the current living arrangements were beginning to get to me. I wasn’t feeling the usual benefits of my daily walks (my self-medication) and whilst I couldn’t term myself as stressed, I knew things were getting grim. My eczema had flared up, as usual in lots of odd places including around  my eyes, which are inflamed, itchy and very sore, adding to my distress. All because TTS is not here.
Luckily, things are looking up.
There are signs spring is on its way. Last Friday, I saw my first skylark of the year and each day there are more and more birds in the trees, giving their spring songs laldy. Chaffinch, robins, dunnock, great, blue and coal tits (I typed that very carefully…) are all there, brightening my day and putting the bounce back into my stride. Yesterday, whilst I was out enjoying a stroll with a friend and her two dogs, we saw a water vole. I couldn’t believe it, what a treat!
Then there were slight alterations to the travel arrangements for the start of my Challenge. I knew there would be plenty of good company to enjoy, but now I know I’ll have extra special company, from door to door. That put a big grin on my face.
On Sunday, I ordered my main meals from Fuizion and they arrived yesterday morning (free p & p) and I haven’t even received an email to say they are dispatched, delighted!
Last year I had started my Challenge with a hipflask containing Tamdhu, my favourite dram. The flask itself only weighs a reasonable 80g, but with contents is a whole lot more! I had taken so little from it (just not in the mood, for some odd reason) that when David met me at Laggan to swap my rucksack, I sent the hipflask home. I saw it again briefly at Braemar,  but decided not to carry it. This year I thought I might like to carry whisky but in smaller, more attractive quantities so decided to try miniatures.  This led to some further thought, I could sample drams that took me from west to east, loosely speaking. Yesterday, I found something useful in Tesco.
So, here we are, feeling much brighter and with almost everything ready to prepare my re-supply parcels. I do like to support the local economy, I’m using accommodation, buying supplies and eating out where I can, but there are a few staples that I know I prefer and obviously my maps, so I don’t carry them all in one go.
SDC12370 Two days of staples, to be supplemented with fresh as I go
SDC12372 Ooo, clever Tesco!
Starting from the left, that’s Talisker from the Isle of Skye, to represent the west (I’m starting at Strathcarron, so not too far. And I’m rather fond of it anyway!) Next is Dalwhinnie. I’ll actually be further north of here, Tomatin would have been more appropriate and if I happen across one, I’ll have it. Third is The Singleton, a Dufftown malt and I’ll be roughly 35 miles south east, but it’s one I haven’t tried. Lastly I have Glenkinchie. Another I haven’t tried, this one is from Edinburgh and struck me as close enough, if I make it to Montrose!
Two accommodations to book, a train ticket home and that’s me. All I’ve got to do is walk it…

13 comments:

Carl Mynott @GBWildlifeTales said...

I can see you had forgotten all about that strees by the end of your post. Blog-otherapy, maybe?

Nice touch by Tesco there - trust you will decant into lighter, plastic containers.

That's the third post I have read with a mention of Skylarks - its absolutely brilliant knowing I am not alone in liking these little crackers and hearing them chattering up high is a real sign that spring is on the way.

I posted a comment on www.stravaiger.com's post about 'larks with some links and twitter nicknames linked to summerbirds. Have a butchers.

-maria- said...

Looking forward to all your TGOC related posts, Louise! :) Have a nice crossing, it is not so far away (only a few weeks!).

Laura said...

Like your weather widget!

Louise said...

Carl
Oh yes, feeling much less stressed! I love the skylarks. During the summer I walk along the marshes near me and I could spend hours just listening and watching them, they're magical! Of course, the real advantage is that I can osprey spot at the same time, they really make me go weak at the knees.
As for the whisky, they're already in miniature plastic bottles, 60g each, yey! Ok, so not much of the good stuff, but enough to savour when I'm in the mood and I can have a larger sample when I'm in civilisation.

Louise said...

Hi Maria, lovely to hear from you. I'm looking forward to it now, ten weeks and one day till I set off, yikes!

Louise said...

Thanks Laura! I'm rather pleased with it, I have to say. Shame I can't take it with me...

Andrew W said...

Minatures ... Nice idea.

And easier to fit 4 or 5 little bottles in than a big one, because thay will fit into the gaps easier.

Boot's do really good little plastic bottles that are just about minature size.

I normally take mine in a lucozade 330ml bottles, but I am mostly thinking that 5 little plastic bottles would give me more variety.

Denis P has always taken his whiskey in little bottles.
I remember him decantion it at Tarfside last year.

Louise said...

I'm actually really chuffed with the miniatures and it's the variety as much as the ease of packing, especially as three out of the four are not known to me. They look so cute!

Andrew W said...

I am off to Tesco tomorrow :)

Carl Mynott @GBWildlifeTales said...

Singleton is one you will REALLY like.

Louise said...

Andrew, they were in a cute presentation box on the top whisky shelf, as opposed to at the kiosk where miniatures tend to be these days. Apparently...

Carl, I'll let you know!

Alan Sloman said...

What a splendid idea! I shall have to do a Tesco shop tomorrow: Waitrose can wait!

Louise said...

You might want to carry a few more than me Alan, to make up the quantities you're used to, I'm quite a cheap date, (unless there's champagne involved) ;-)