The FastDay Forum

Lawks a-mercy! It's a month since we wrote in here!
Come on folks, pick up those feet and get going again and let us know what you see on the way :0)
All welcome, all rambles valid wherever they are and whatever distance \O/

Hi @Azureblue absolutely! My first visit to the forum for a while as my elderly father was taken ill and we are waiting for his peaceful passing. I can't tell you how uplifting it is to the read all the posts since I last visited as life has been foggy. For the last 11 days I have been walking daily to visit Dad in hospital and every morning we all visit with Mum. It's the route I took to school, amazingly very little has changed and it brings back floods of happy memories and a few scary ones too! Spring is upon us and it feels so good.
So who else is walking today?

Well I'm on train on my way to work, so will soon be off walking. 4 dog walks today (18 dogs) so I hope to hit 20,000 steps. On Saturday a friend and I walked from Pearl Beach up over the mountain and down to Patonga, nice bush walk with stunning views at the top overlooking the mouth to the Hawkesbury river and over to the ocean and Palm Beach. Not too hot, but a walker told us she had seen Brown snakes on track recently, bit scary. Then we went to the Patona pub, quiet little fishing village with quaint pub. Then we heaved ourselves back up the rocks and back home. I used to do half of this walk daily some years ago, sneakily with my dog (we have awful dog rules here, they aren't allowed in many places). I haven't walked this path in 15+ years, great walk. Yesterday was foul rain which we got caught in. I had Danny dog in his pram, Humbug on lead, torrential rain and howling winds. Most unpleasant. I was soaked. Only cloudy today thankfully

Just managed a tiny weeny walk to the shop to buy milk. Life has been insanely busy. I want to get back my walking mojo. Your walk sound wonderful @GMH.

My heart goes out to you @Lizbean, take care of yourself as well as others m'dear.
Good on you @Sallyo and @GMH, that's the spirit.
I had a small town walk today, a longer one yesterday, my hip was giving me gip dammit.
Fasting now until 7.30pm tomorrow (sheesh) so onwards and upwards :0)

Thx @Azureblueday by day is good for now @GMH Love it and the 18 dogs is interesting, tell us more.
@Sallyo yep sometimes we are busy beans, I too want to get out there and share. Soon.

Lizbean: you are clearly in a hard place. I remember not so long ago you saying that your parents though elderly, were in good health. So sorry that is no longer the case. Does that mean you are up there with them? Do try some therapeutic walks!

@Lizbean I'm a dog walker. 16 down, 2 hour journey home now, sigh, then walk my wee beasties on the beach. I'm a bit slow today so may only make 17,000 steps. Very tired today but I'll buck up when the sea air surrounds me! Best wishes with your parents, mine were both dead by the time I was 29 sadly, enjoy the memories.

@GMH 20000 steps, well you have set me a challenge for when my time permits - anyone else joining me? Thanks, I shall cherish the memories. @Sallyo thanks, yes they have enjoyed good health and we are grateful for that. Dad's health deteriorated very quickly over the last 8 weeks. I spent the last 11 days in Lancashire and have returned to London for a day or two of rest bite before returning. Today I am working from home - needless to say I have a huge backlog to tackle I'll pop out for an hours therapeutic walk later this afternoon, in between the rain showers.

@Lizbean 20, 500 yesterday to be precise However I am working and walking, makes it easier to fit in. Saturday was over 20,000 which is unusual for me, usually bit slack on days off. I did my usual dog walk for my boys 6 to 7,000 steps, shopping uses quite a bit, up and down those aisles then big walk of over 3 hours up and down hilly dirt track, so not THAT hard to achieve. Social chatty walks easiest, time flies. 1 of my neighbours is 78 and walks about 15,000 steps a day I reckon, 2.5 hours with her dog every day, now she's an inspiration

Visited a distant country park today, a good walk around a different part revealing a brook joyfully spilling into the river. The Rangers have cut an awful lot of the shrubs and trees back/down making it all seem very managed and bare. The rabbits were still bopping about in the background so it can't be too wildlife unfriendly :0)

Hi @GMH I love the chatty walks too. I organised a walk for our international visitors on 5th March, unfortunately I missed it, though the feedback from guests is they loved it. A full moon over St Pauls as they ended their walk ahead of dinner. Jonnie is a great London guide http://www.bowlofchalk.net/. As the spring arrives I look forward to night city walks via the 'meet up groups', where we walk with new friends. It'll get me out of my day meetings routine. This spring I plan to walk in Dorset and Pembrokeshire and make it to Northumberland and Scotland before the autumn. I'll change my vocation in 10 years. Dog walking or a London guide sounds right up my street.
@Azureblue I hope your tetchy hip is behaving my dear. I have gained 3lbs recently. I need to shed it as every pound counts for my tetchy knee

Lovely to see people in the Walking Tent. I did a bit of a walk yesterday, but I've got out of the habit of wearing my pedometer, I don't know how much. I walked into town from the Hospital where i left the OH having tests. It was cold and I thought I'd walk to a shop called 'Off the Sheep's Back' which sells beautiful woollen wear. But by the time I got there, I wasn't cold any more, from the walk, and the clothes were too expensive. I'd just put down a deposit on an electric piano, on my way past the music shop, so I wasn't feeling as rich as I was when I started out! Time to get out again today, although rain is forecast. I'll take an umbrella.

@Lizbean the London walking tours sound great. a friend took me to that rooftop bar behind St Pauls when I was in London at Xmas, brilliant. As for dog walking in London, it looks different to here on TV, but possibly the same...I drive 100 to 150 km a day, picking up and dropping off dogs, then there's the sloppy dog poo but I love them all and wish I had started when I was younger.

@Lizbean the London walking tours sound great. a friend took me to that rooftop bar behind St Pauls when I was in London at Xmas, brilliant. As for dog walking in London, it looks different to here on TV, but possibly the same...I drive 100 to 150 km a day, picking up and dropping off dogs, then there's the sloppy dog poo but I love them all and wish I had started when I was younger.