Out And About.

[mongers]

Cycling back from Salisbury yesterday evening, the valley and forest trees are looking beautiful with their new foliage, especially the horse chestnut in magnificent full bloom. 

It's just nice to now be out in the countryside most evenings. 

Real happy to be able to get out and about more.

[KRonn]

It's been a cool couple of days, yesterday especially cool and rainy. Today was warmer as skies cleared and I went out for a walk, felt like just keeping going for a bit, a lot longer than usual. I walk a fast pace so it's decent exercise for me.

[mongers]

The Beast is back, found this around the back of the shed and with various salvaged bits, including 40 year old brakes and the addition of a $6 chain I have a fun, usable, leave anywhere bike:



Done a couple of hundred miles on it over that last fortnight, I'll see how it goes over then next weeks taking it on the trains. May have to hacksaw the handle bars down a bit.

[KRonn]

Nice bike, and somewhat of a "rescue" bike, eh? It should serve you well.     

[Eddie Teach]

You sure wear out your bikes fast.

[mongers]

You sure wear out your bikes fast.

Much like ourselves. 

Anyway, now I've bodged up two usable bikes, time to get out and about more in the countryside. 

[mongers]

On my way back from Wales yesterday, the train out of Cardiff hit some cattle near the Severn, I think they'd swam across the river. So the train was delayed for 2.5 hours whilst they figured out how to remove the body of a large bull out from under the front carriage!

So I missed my connections and the last two buses home from the local station would be long gone once I got there, so bit of timetable juggling had me riding on the last train to Soton, hence the last train into Bournemouth. The intention being to get a taxi home* or if none available then walk out of the conurbation and home.

On route I had an idea, got off in the middle of the national park and walked the 12 miles home across half the forest, mainly using the roads, no traffic gone well past midnight and taking a few cross country short cuts. Navigation was fun as it was near moonless, heavily clouded, so the only available light was that reflected off the low clouds from the oil refinery and distance towns. Had to resort to using my video recorders screen as an emergency light in some of the really dark places under the trees.

Turned out to be great fun, no one around, saw two cars in 3 hours, far better than having to risk roads out of a major conurbation after dark.

Plenty of ponies about, unfazed by my passing; maybe they thought I was a local hobbit? 

Icing on the cake was the varied light show put on by the different species of firefly out and about that night.

Surprising amount of light about at 2.45 am. 

Got home just before dawn, well the meadow dawn chorus here had just started, but our lazy garden birds didn't chirp in for another 30 minutes.



* wouldn't have been too happy with the 40-50 quid cost if available.

[Maladict]

Awesome 

[Admiral Yi]

That's great mongers, but now your'e a werewolf.

[mongers]

That's great mongers, but now your'e a werewolf.

I'll take those dealt cards if it means I get to meet Jennifer Agutter.

[Admiral Yi]

I'll take those dealt cards if it means I get to meet Jennifer Agutter.

Point. 

[KRonn]

Mongers, your interrupted rail journey seems to have turned into quite a pleasant walk-about! Long walk but the quiet, solitude, sights and sounds appear to have been well worth it. 

[mongers]

Mongers, your interrupted rail journey seems to have turned into quite a pleasant walk-about! Long walk but the quiet, solitude, sights and sounds appear to have been well worth it. 

Yeah, I think I plan another night walk, see if I can rope in a few friends.

[Admiral Yi]

Mongers, can you name the other notable movie in which Jenny had a part?

[Eddie Teach]

The Avengers
Captain America: Winter Soldier
Othello
Equus
[spoiler]Logan's Run?[/spoiler]