So I spent the early part of the summer walking everywhere. Every weekend, and some nights after work, walking, walking and walking. And I didn't do too bad - I managed 34 miles in 17 and a half hours, and between us the team made around £1000 for Action Medical Research.
But then the rest of my team said that they wre never going to walk again, so I was left without any walking partners, and I'd been really enjoying myself, so I had to come up with a plan b. And so I've joined a rambling club. I'll only be going on one hike a month, I would think, because I quite simply won't have time to do more than that once college starts again. But at least I'm still doing something I enjoy, seeing new places, meeting people, and being healthy.
My first "ramble" was Sunday just gone, and I was rather nervous at having to get on a bus full of people I didn't know, but it actually wasn't as bad as it could have been. I managed to beat the nerves and speak to people at the bus stop, so at least I'd broken the ice before getting on the bus! We did a 9 mile walk through Teesdale, which was pretty strenuous, and stopped for lunch at a lovely little place called Middleton.
And it was in Middleton that the best incident of the day occured...
We stopped to eat lunch, and me and the woman I’d got talking to were just sitting on the grass on this little slope. Most other people had managed to get on a bench, but we’d sprawled on the floor. I was just finishing my lunch when this lovely black and white cat wandered across the road, and I made some joke about him coming to see if there was any sarnies left.
A few minutes later one of the other women yells over to let us know the cat was coming our way (bit of a warning in case we didn’t like them, I suppose), and I turned to see him standing just out of reach, so did the usual “hold your hand out and make a nice noise” thing. He came right over and let me stroke him, then sat right down next to me like a dog!
Just then a woman came across with her little boy – kid was about 3 and wanted to see the pussy cat. So while the kid distracted the cat I got a few snaps of it because other than being much bigger than the cat next door to me (who has discovered how to get in my kitchen window!) it’s got the same facial markings and colouring.
I ended up half kinda laying down to get the photos, and when the kid left, the cat came back over to me, and calmly climbed onto my stomach and curled up to go to sleep! How mental is that??? But isn't he lovely?
This last picture is kinda fun cos you can see my leg and feet, so you can see exactly how he was laid on me. Made my day, anyway!
