A rebel without a clue.

Awake at 5. Coffee. Dog out for a wee. She's had breakfast. Listening to Archive on Four; it's six. Thinking about what happened on Friday and Saturday. Between me, Emma and my mother. Emma added to the separation I feel went between me and my mother on Friday morning. The anniversary of my birthday... When she didn't break away from the TV, on the two occasions I came to her home, to give me any human contact on this, the day, she gave birth to me 52 years ago. Perhaps the pain was always too much to take? And Emma and I have had zero in common since she returned from Australia all those years ago as she wandered into a way of life I never sought: mortgage, flash car, salesperson... Flimflam. And I recall Emma came up to Newcastle to a party I had at the house I lived in those 3 years in West Jesmond. That was excellent. She came up with Paul Williamson and it was a brilliant party. Emma was way cooler then. Putting everything back as I found it, Including Ruby - LOL?! Wal...

Friday. Happy birthday to me? Awake at 5am. A good night's sleep after the worrying reoccurrence last night of sleeping too early and being quite awake around 9pm. But Ruby didn't bark once at all after I let her out at 7pm for toilet, etc, there were some phantom barks in my mind... So I sank into somnolence.    Breakfast at 7am. Baked beans. Homemade. Enough for another day. Rehydrating some black turtle beans for later if Glenn stays here or at my mum's? Running a bath and will do a wash shortly. Trying to slow down so Lola and Ruby can have a day light hour plus down the river as it's not rained in a few days... ... Another breakdown in our love hate relationship. Mother! Oh what a lovely day... Saturday* Glenn's asleep on the sofa. Ruby, after toilet and breakfast, is asleep on the sofa. I am sat on the sofa. Two sofa's obviously. I belong to the one with Ruby on it. Just gone 6. Slept well for a birthday evening. Didn't drink too much and nothing stron...

Tuesday* 6am. Got pinto beans on simmer. Cuddled Ruby and she's gone back to sleep. Made coffee Read lesson 30 ... (God Is In Everything I See Because God Is In My Mind). Everything is only in my mind... Boiled eggs (for me and Ruby) Ruby has come to ask for her Breakfast. She'll return to sleep afterwards? Demanding more - she's got a duck neck. She uses more energy with me? Her poos are so minute though... Apparently a raw diet does that... She's nugging her toy now and then back to rest. Added tomatoes, puree, capers Tabasco and Lea & Perrin's, and half a can of water to simmer away once more. Brewed another coffee as the Kappow blend is a bit lean for my pallet... I prefer French roast. Leaving for Portugal on the 5th, but school holidays from the 9th. So I must be over the hills (Algarve) and far away (Alentejo) by then. Beginning to feel I should set off once more the route from Faro. Not hitch. And give myself 2 weeks this occasion to reach Lisbon and bey...

Saturday. Awake at 5:45am. Let Ruby outside. Made a cafetiere of coffee. Letting it brew. Cuddled Ruby and watched her relax and rebuild her bed besides me on her sofa in the kitchen dining room. Podcast time. But I am finding them tedious now...  Lesson of the day: no 27 Above all else I want to see. Time to clear away last night's washing up. Full moon. Running a bath... Sorted out the box fresh boots I collected yesterday afternoon. Eating breakfast. 7:35. Avocado on brown. Cup of lemon verbena 9:30 walking across Crowcroft Bank with Lola and Ruby... A 'good' hour. Back alongside the A1 to the underpass at Freeman's Way Beans on toast and then an hour meditation. Took Ruby back to 14  Chestnut Avenue and heading to the allotment for a couple of hours Did a lot of digging and covered up the sections. Walking Ruby into town for a couple of jars. Things are a growing... Exhausted. Ruby too. Dinner and then bed. Tomorrow is Sunday. She signs. *** Sunday. Ruby barks at 5a...

It's just Ruby and me and the wind. A gale was blowing outside and scattering rain against the wall of the bedroom I was trying to sleep in... She barked at something around midnight and again around 5 and asked to go out for toilet, but now she's back asleep on the other sofa. It's early. Yesterday we went to Harrogate and walked through a very muddy Yorkshire Show Ground and Hornbeam Park to the Stray and finished up at Harlow Hill before heading through Valley Gardens and then back to Chestnut Avenue by 13:40 for lunch and siesta. A giant of a beech tree had collapsed in the storm down across the stream which feeds into the Crimple Beck. I've Lola to collect and take out with Ruby after sunrise. Perhaps I can get to the allotment this afternoon as I am sure Ruby will be easy today after yesterday's long one? Combination of things. It's a lovely morning, but am exhausted. Dropped Lola off, had a 15 cuddle as she descended into snooze. No onion sets at Touchwoo...

Made coffee, listened to a podcast, ran a bath, did a woollen wash, walked the long way to catch the bus, via Sainsbury's for two bananas and a bottle of kefir (need it after the beer in Meanwood Friday afternoon), sat on the X99 and read a chapter of Nomad Century ... Walking to mum's to take merry legs for a walk. Chilling out with her today? Allotment tomorrow if the storm blows passed by then? Nice walk along the riverside with a very excited Lola: sand! She was spinning and nipping my wrists - signs she's super happy. Tried to unwind next to her after elevensies, but at the moment we can't switch off next to one another - she prefers to chill on her own on the sofa or armchair now anyway (bless)! Allotment this afternoon. Just walked into town to see Jason for a couple of beers. Too many yesterday so only two. Not seen Jason since November. Had a coffee at the cinema (Darkwoods) with a biscotti. A couple became 3. Jason hurried off his final one to meet Katherine i...

Oranges are not the only fruit, but when one falls from the tree directly in front of me, cracks itself open and tastes so luxurious just as the Igreja struck oito , why shouldn't they be? Coming to the first village I was hopeful of a true coffee. 10am and the taberna was just opening. Three welcoming dogs, one mumbling patron and one happier peregrino I carry on to what maybe was an old monastery on the crest of hill ... Aldeia dos Elvas. This morning I've eaten the remainder of the Portuguese Christmas cake ( bolo Rei) which I purchased in Almodôvar for 5€. Full of nuts, fruit and other goodies ... It's keeping me going! Away to my right a bull roars, bellowing with all its larynx can bear, and it's the warmest morning so far on this el Camino... Although I have been on my own for seven solid days walking, and only had locals as background noise, the voices from the past still manage to stir up a hornets hive so that a beautifully sunny morning has be...