Remember me?

It’s been a while. Too long. You knew where I was going and when I got back this blog sat, tickling the edges of my guilt.

“Write something,” it said.

“I will,” I said, “later.”

It’s later.

Wheredyagowhachado?

I went here

And there

Did this

And that

Then moved house so I could see this from the bottom of the garden

which is all well and good but it didn’t put any words on this blog or this one either.

Maybe I burnt out slightly after managing around 35,000 words during the trip for The Novel but bills needed paying so I did more of this instead of writing.

This is about to be rectified, maybe.

Make mine Merrell

One thing is for sure, my boots took a battering – I needed new footwear. Something that would be okay for popping to the shops or schleping along the estuary. They didn’t have to be waterproof (I’ve others for that) but they did need to be comfy. After a bit of a search I settled on Merrell’s Avian Light Sport Gore-tex.

And they’re everything I expected.

Flexible,

light, cool enough with the breeze coming through the mesh to make sure my feet don’t stink (too much), sturdy enough to cope with a battering, great for gardening, walking, popping to the shops, rebuilding, decorating and fighting off battalions of dragons with a two-year old.

I’ll find out soon enough how they stand up to a weekend of bivvying in a rain-soaked wood. (More of that another time).

The sole has great traction, as perfect for clambering over a rocky beach or up a mountain as they are on pavements. They “provide women’s specific stride-sequenced cushioning” whatever the doozy that means. All I know right now after two weeks of general life-bashing (with my own prescribed orthotic innersoles rather than the supplied Ortholite® anatomical footbed) I’ve not had a single blister, no achy legs or complaint about pongy toes.

AND (as a good friend just pointed out on the phone) they’re Merrell’s “so they’ll last for ages and you can’t put a price on a good pair of shoes“.

Well you can, but he’s right – you can’t go too wrong with Merrell.

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Come out and play

Because life is too short to stay indoors…

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Primitive Pottery

Guy Mallinson's Woodland Workshop - here be fairies

I’m on a bit of a journey with the bushcraft and have a growing fascination with ancient technology. Simple, effective, natural. My latest experience saw me getting down and dirty at Guy Mallinson’s Woodland Workshop on a Primitive Pottery course.

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Importance of Adventurous Play for Children (and Adults!)

As a child I spent most of my time outdoors. In the days just before the IT explosion, playing out was the most necessary extra-curricular activity. We roamed streets and fields, woods and streams, explorers or scientists trekking through the suburban jungle; stalking beasts’ footprints in the sand each summer at the beach; searching for crabs and other exotic creatures in the rock pools.

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The more it snows, tiddely pom…

From one of my favourite bears, one of my favourite poems – especially in this weather. When winter knocks on the door I can hear it going round and round inside my head, my footsteps a constant rhythmic accompaniment. A mantra if you will, or maybe just a wish.

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I resign

I received an email today…

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The Problem with Education

I missed out on Supertramp in the 70’s and 80’s, being slightly too young and with rock and roll fans for parents. But there’s one song that resonated with me then that still does today.

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