A rebel without a clue.

Yesterday morning I booked a flight to Beauvais, again, with the intention of walking the Chemin Saint Jacques from there for a few days before I have to return and be in Wetherby almost everyday from the 23rd until the 3rd September. There is a Gîtes d'Etape in Beauvais and the town is very close to the airport so I should walk to the accommodation and depart as usual on the following day. I could walk to Amiens and the coast or from Beauvais to Paris and Oreleans/Chartres again. Whichever route I choose to depart from on Wednesday I will need to return on or before the 23rd, at the latest, as Emma (sister) flies to Ibiza on Saturday, very early (I assumed she'd be getting going at a reasonable time, but Emma's not reasonable)! On the way south from Carlisle I looked at the desolation around Settle, where all the hills stand barren and unloved, and decided I couldn't walk the Pennine Way - who cut down all the trees? Times have changed and the forests need reseeding!

When did flan become quiche? Anyway I ate one on the train back to Leeds from the day trip to Carlisle. Interesting city and possibly a place I'd visit again, but passing through the Eden valley and then the Ribble coming south the views were 'stunning' and it made me think about next week and the week afterwards... I definitely need to walk and forget the drink. Because that is all I am otherwise? And I am definitely putting on some weight. Yesterday, in Carlisle, prior to walking along the Eden eastwards, crossing the Victorian footbridge and coming back through Stanwix and down Scotland Road, I had eaten a pork pie and a sausage roll from an established butcher opposite the Market Hall on Fisher Street, but it's the wrong food! What's happening Daniel? Why are you managing that fine line less and less well. The road to hell is littered with good intentions! It was a day out. But the trip on the train was quite tiring in itself. And I couldn't just come straig...

6 am on this Tuesday morning. With an earned day off from Wetherby I am heading off for a day somewhere I've never been. Leeds station towards Carlisle along the Settle branch of the way. A day out on my own in England. This hasn't happened at all since COVID and lockdown in 2020. What a relief. Random. Something unexpected and it has got me thinking of next weeks freedom... There is an Independent Hostel in Carlisle. And I could stay overnight... And I was lacking inspiration. One day of meditation and care and I am enthused again! Wetherby... But suddenly tired as the train rattles onwards to Settle and the famous section of track between it and Carlisle.

Strong coffee this morning. I forgot what French roast was like! There is no comparison between Illy and Aldi! Aldi is rough? Perhaps two heaped table spoons is too many in a cafetière? I recall Carte Noir being a more mellow French Roast. Back payment of Carer's Allowance hit my account this morning: mother and her knee! And I've managed to clear two debts that I wasn't going to clear until the end of summer, through dog sitting duties. Lola is by my side again.  From 4 she was in my bed, from 6 in her seat and at 6:35 crawling all over me for her breakfast. Now she's in her post breakfast snooze around 7. There was a breeze blowing this morning, but it appears to be dropping? We'll have a nice hour and then I will head back to Leeds to touch base with it. Maureen thought I looked a little distracted when she arrived and perhaps I was? Even in the short space of time I was in my mum's company on Sunday morning there was the usual conflict about something and no...

Final day with Ruby. She was out for the count again around 7. Flat out on her sofa and didn't budge until I came down at 6 and gave her her morning cuddle and wriggle. Super happy in that moment she is! Now she's gone upstairs to mummy's bed once more. This morning I am collecting Lola from mum's for a wander somewhere. For a couple of hours. I am thinking of the race course, but it's Carboot Sunday so too many human waste distractions... we've not been to Crowcroft Bank this week so perhaps down Watersole Lane to there and back up to Chestnut Avenue via the Wilderness carpark below Bridgefoot? Another morning without a hangover. Since I took over from Maureen and Tony I've not gone into the bottle. Except for the slightly hungover Saturday morning I feel fine. Wetherby had a funny aspect in Bar Three and The Mews so I didn't stay for more than a pint in either one. Which meant I slept soundly.  Heading off to mum's to collect Lola for an early walk...

Penultimate day with Ruby. Mo and Tony have returned to Dubrovnik for a final night before they return to Chestnut Avenue. I've Ruby alongside me. Yesterday she was pretty tired all day from Thursday adventure to Newton Kyme, Rudgate and Boston Spa - Lola was the same. Yesterday I managed to get to the allotment for a couple of hours to dig some potatoes: which I gave away to Andy, Jason and mum's neighbours. Also I collected some peapods and ate them with Ruby before I left her to pop to the Brewery to catch up with Jason, Nick and Adrian. Too many Abbey beers and the usual cheese and cake shoveling affair, but I slept pretty well until 5 and didn't come down until 6. Just finishing off the stove top coffee prior to making breakfast - I boiled some basmati rice in the liquor I'd reserved from the steamed Charlotte potatoes I'd had for lunch. The ones I gave away were Swift variety. At some point today I will put courgettes in the space I cleared. Ruby is very used ...

For some reason I wrote nothing this morning! Perhaps I was just far too busy to write trivial gibberish? It's raining nicely and Ruby is exhausted. Lola, her and I walked to Rudgate on the Boston Tadcaster road, into Boston Spa and then caught the number 7 to The Spinney up Spofforth Hill. We did around 12 miles with a little detour into the MOD munitions ruin on the edge of Thorp Arch Trading Estate. This rain is good... And tomorrow will be a lesser day? I washed my clothes and had a bath. The allotment calls tomorrow... ...good morning. Slept satisfactory last night and Ruby didn't budge from her chosen spot on the sofa last night. Around 11:30 I came to check on her because I was fairly surprised she didn't come up to mummy's bed. Must've been fairly shattered from Thursday's long one. The rainy evening continues into a spotty morning. The plants I watered didn't need it... But you never can tell at the moment? The weather seems to pass us by. Actually ...