Live life outdoors

As I said the other day Life has an unfortunate habit of getting in the way sometimes and camping trips this year have been another of its victims. I’ve managed to get out several times to chill in my hammock in the woods for a few hours at a time but haven’t managed to get away camping; until last night that is. I spent yesterday morning sorting and airing my kit. Making sure that everything was in good order and repair and that I had everything that I needed. I just about managed to pack it all into my rucksack. I think I need a new, bigger one; but when I mention rucksacks to Mary her face takes on a very stern, grown up look! Anyway I got everything stowed that I wanted to take with me and it was comfortable enough to carry. I wasn’t going to be walking too far but it was still going to be a case of being able to carry everything in and out as well. I knew I would be coming home in the dark this morning so I wanted to be as comfortable as possible. So off I bimbled to my...

The sun is shining, you have a couple of hammocks, a beautiful wife and a few hours going spare so what do you do? That’s right, you bimble out of your front door and straight on to the New Forest with a rucksack loaded with everything you need to pass a chilled out couple of hours. It turns out that all Mary needed was the hammock, but more of that in a bit. As I said we came out of the front door, on to the forest and pootled off to a little glade that we know that I swear was designed by someone who loves hammock camping. The trees are perfectly spaced and there are great clearings to set up in and get the stove going so you can have a brew up! Now the point of the exercise today was to introduce Mary to the sheer bliss of lying in a camping hammock, all she has used up until now is a garden hammock on a tubular frame, neither comfortable nor an overly enjoyable experience. Anyway, I got Mary’s hammock slung up first and then left her to figure out how to get into it w...

I feel good today, not just OK but actually chipper. As I mentioned the other day I’m in the transition period from one set of meds to another, and the past few days have been rough. The tiredness I can deal with (what’s a full night’s sleep again?) but the mood swings have been horrible. Never knowing from one minute to the next whether you’re going to want to laugh or cry; shit or go bust is not fun. So I say again, I feel good today. The day started badly oddly enough. I had planned on making some mushy peas (Ambrosia of the Gods) today and to that end had put the peas in to soak yesterday. Anyway when I came to cook them off I bolloxed it up but recovered the situation enough so that I now have enough pea soup for lunch at work every day next week – yay me! After that I got on and decorated a triple layer chocolate fudge cake. One of our team is leaving tomorrow and I promised her I would go all out on a cake for her. I think I’ve kept my promise! (I will quite happil...

To paddle, or not to paddle: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The waves and seaweed of outrageous fortune, Or to take up thy kayak against a sea of waves, And by opposing paddle them? (Sorry Bill!) Of course the correct answer is to always paddle, be it paddleboard, boogie board or in yesterday's case the kayak. It was one of those lovely ethereal mornings yesterday. Mist over the water, no wind and the only sound was the lapping of the waves on the beach. Once parked up I was soon set up, got my kit on and I was ready to go. The slight problem I have with kayaking (or any other activity as mentioned in a previous blog) is my notorious lack of balance. This means that if I'm going to capsize I will generally do getting in to or out of the kayak, and this day was going to be no different with me going over both on egress and exit! What was really great about going out yesterday was that I had absolutely no agenda or pre-determined rou...