Yes! Circumstances forced me!
Not the best sleep as I awoke at 02.30 and couldn’t settle back to sleep. And, of course, was just drifting off again when I got myself up soon after 04.40. Today was scheduled to be very hot followed by thunder storms.
I had a swim booked at the Lido at 07.30 which is further away than Didcot, so a very early start was required.
It was another amazingly beautiful walk. I headed for the Rec this time, having decided to follow the footpath up the hill behind the playing field. I had never been there before due to mud, the slope, bad knees etc. In fact I have not walked to the Rec for several weeks. The last time was probably with crutches.
The views were amazing. The sun was just up and cast an amber glow over the hills that are the other side of the river. In the other direction the sky was sharply blue.
Just a flavour of my start to the day! I loved it.
I couldn’t carry on all the way to the ‘summit’ because the footpath swings to the left and the track is clearly marked as private. We didn’t have enough time to follow the public footpath much futher because of my needing to be at the Lido by 07.30.
We wandered downhill and arrived at the point where the track meets Cranford House playing field. It was at this point I lost H. Or she lost me. She was AWOL for ages – I assumed she had got herself stuck the other side of the thicket path ( this is perilous and parallel to the easy walk over the field) or even stuck through the fence where the field of horses is located. Except there were no horses there this morning.
I wandered around back and forth calling her and decided I was getting nowhere and so would go home. I knew she could find her way home and there was only Underhill traffic to run her over. And then, lo and behold… she apperated in the horses’ field. I think she has a hearing problem. It’s called selected deafness and has earned the order of the naughty girl collar. Can’t let this become a habit. It’s all charged up and waiting.
Despite Boris not easing up on the remaining restrictions, the Lido is going for broke and will no longer be operating its booking system, nor its limit of 2 swims per week. Only members may swim and no guest passes at the mo. You won’t get your own personal changing room any more . Well you will, but you can’t leave your clothes in there and it won’t be assigned. You have to find an empty one. But you can stay in as long as you wish.
The results of the change in policy will be interesting! It starts next week.
The swim was a bit more serious this morning – or rather- the swimmers were. No dawdling or reading books or basking in the hot tub. Strictly up and down, and at speed. Except for me and one other lady who performed the most amazing and unnecessary contortions with her limbs to propel herself through the water. I must get someone to video me before I criticise others!
Once home, I turned my attention to mowing the grass and planted up a couple of plants. Only about 20 more to go! Need some energy after expending so much.
Only four plants to go and I’ve even done some of that sewing. My dress no longer trails along the floor dusting it as I move on.
Parts of rest of the day were quite disastrous. Our trip to Bloxham… had we been able to leave at 16.35 as I requested, George might not have been nearly 15 mins late due to the 35 minute hold up that snarled up the A34 all the way from South to North Oxford.
I was stuck in the car unable to text the friends we were meeting to forewarn them. Or ring Ali to warn her of G’s late arrival. T can’t follow instructions to use a phone. But I put George on the job and his texts got through.
The whole thing made me very stressed as I hate being late for anything. The traffic was very slow moving and the A 34 was nose to tail. The weather conditions were still great heat and the whole journey was a mess.
However Neal and Anne took our changed timings into account and it was good to see them again. We had about an hour with them. To exchange our news and have another general catch up.
The return journey was easy peasy on empty roads under changing skies. Clumps of grey clouds were forming and we are promised rain and storms.
I suspect someone has been meddling with our TV cables. Dave had carefully hidden them but I see they are no longer hidden. And we can’t get the internet stations on the main T V . Or I can’t.
Thought for the Day
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