Wednesday 31 October 2007

Time for a Walk

This is definitely one for the caption competition

Now that my daily exercise regime consists of lifting an electric toothbrush I've noticed that I'm seeing less of my feet each morning. I've been promising myself that I'll get my legs moving for weeks, but there's just no time. So I made some.

I'm lucky enough to live within five minutes' walk of Stafford Castle so it's boots on and off into the green stuff.

It's not that impressive as castles go. What's visible now is actually a Victorian folly built on the original 11th Century foundations. But who cares? There were squirrels, buzzards, even a jay giving me accusing looks from the branches of a beech tree. I think it was a beech. Could have been a rhododendron to be honest. Or a giant hogweed.


There's no point whatsoever to this blog today, other than the picture at the top, which made me chuckle even if no one else sees the humour. But it's worth mentioning because today's walk in the woods made me realise there's always time. Nothing disastrous happened because I was away from the phone. No one died because I didn't pick up my Skype messages.

So go. Tomorrow morning, do yourself a favour. I promise you'll come back in a better mood than before you started.

6 comments:

Zimble: said...

Founding members, Joan and Larry, say they would give anything to preserve the castle.

Jem Shaw said...

Good for them! The woods and fields around the castle are great for walks and bike rides, but are under constant attack from developers. They tried to get permission to build 1600 houses around it! Each time they get turned down, they get permission to build a couple of hundred, so bit by bit this green and pleasant land is turned into a housing estate.

You're so lucky to live in a country with space!

Zimble: said...

Lovely space, yes...but water, no. Dams at 20%, restrictions of 140L per person per day and everyone on 4 minute showers and still they build more houses. It's so sad to see, everywhere.

Caroline said...

You lucky ones !!!
I don't know were zimble lives, but where I come from, there's no free space at all...(in Flanders, Belgium); developers are getting permission to build practicaly everywhere. Sad...
And as for losing weight: get a dog (or borrow your neighbours'), he will give you a lot of exercise, and it's nice to stroll in the woods, having a friend by your side!

Jem Shaw said...

One of the things that attracted us to the house we've lived in for 20-odd years was the beautiful, tree-rich garden of the house alongside. It provided a magnificent backdrop as you approached our, far more humble, abode.

For the last three years we've been fighting a plan to rip it up and build three houses. During this fight, the relatively new owners of the property have filled in a pond populated by the threatened crested newt and felled a number of protected deciduous trees.

The council punished them by awarding planning permission - "well, the trees and newts are gone now anyway aren't they?"

I now live next to a building site.

Rosie55 said...

Wonderful picture - the castle security guards get time and a half at weekends, I suppose!
And you're right. There's no excuse for not getting out there for a walk, I live in a pretty place, too so I shall follow your example tomorrow and take my self for a walk in the glorious autumn scenery here in Gloucestershire (though I was born in Staffordshire. Well, it was then. It's somewhere called Sandwell now, I think!?)
And that's sad about the house (or garden) next door to you. But it seems ever more common as every square inch of land gets covered, it's happening here, too. Quick, put some trellis up high and plant fast growing vines and clematis!