If I’m not fitter by the end of the lockdown, then I give up. Not only is every meal about healthy eating (homemade scotch eggs, for instance – that incidentally look like eyes!), but every day, Eldest organises us for a family walk. She is completely in league with the hound. As she rallies the troops, he fixes us with innocent, enthusiastic eyes, and ears arranged in such a way to melt anyone’s heart.
So we walk. Rain or shine.
Not a slow meandering, leisurely walk. More of a route march, with sniffing breaks for the hound, splattered throughout.
There are hills too. This is not light weight.
Not that I mind. I can already see my body changing and each walk, I up my pace.
We’ve encountered some wonderful creatures on the way. This week, as we walked around a corner, we came across a fawn which was only a few days old. Still stripy. It’s parents were with it. We were a safe distance away, but unsurprisingly, they still spotted us. The adults fled to draw us away from the youngster, while it snuggled out of sight through the long grass.
Same field, we came across three young fox cubs playing on a dirt track in the sun. They were play fighting. We watched for a while, from a safe distance again, before something gave our presence away and they scuttled into the nearby hedge.
The next day, we encountered them again. Now I don’t know if this happens with other breeds of dogs, but I’ve found wild animals are intrigued by deerhounds. They don’t seem to know what to make of them. We’ve walked with a herd of wild deer before now, as they try and figure out what is at the end of the lead. Never getting too close, but keeping up with us. Circling around our group. A very bizarre experience.
This time, the little fox cub spotted Hero. It started to trot down the track towards us. Maybe it mistook the hound for its parents. Bit of a size difference, but it was a young cub. Realising its mistake, it took a sharp left into the hedge, just before it reached us. Probably to watch us from the safety of the undergrowth.
At home, I’ve been trying to take photos of our greater spotted woodpeckers. At least two fledglings and their parents visit our garden. They are definitely on to me. My camera is placed ready in an upstairs window. I’ve missed every single shot, including the parent feeding a young male and a jay that came to watch. It was a good photo that never happened, but at least I saw it.
I can’t really end this weekly update without mentioning #blacklivesmatter. I’m definitely at the listening stage. Frequent readers of my blog will know that I’ve been reading a lot of memoirs and historical stories featuring the slave trade, in the last few years. Pile of them in the photo above, including my current read, if you are looking for suggestions. Shocking and uncomfortable to read at times.
Also on Instagram, Ron Finley is putting it into action with his gangsta garden. Encouraging inner city veg gardens and also online masterclasses on gardening. Definitely worth watching his TED talk.
I’ll leave it there.
Joining in with Anne’s word of the week linky. I’m going with encounter.
Those scotch eggs look amazing!!
It sounds like you are living a good life with all the good food and exercise. How fantastic to see the fawn. Such a special moment. That is interesting to read about wild animals and your dog. x
Every walk we see something new. Usually smaller and more stationery. Just have to keep our eyes open.
I love the look of those Scvotch eggs too — I love scotch eggs! Your walks sound idyllic — and you’re getting fit. How bad! #WotW
Can’t complain.
How wonderful to see all that wildlife while out walking. I always say to myself I should go for a walk every day but I tend to put other things first. Great reading pile. I am putting Walking With The Wind on my TBR.
I think getting out is the hardest part. Always something to do. Going for a walk becomes a nice to have, which it shouldn’t do. I’m appreciating my eldest’s determination. Exercising with others is definitely good for me.
We have had blackbirds in our garden this week, they have come right up to my patio doors. The males have been doing some fabulous dancing in front of the females. They are a joy to watch while my cats are sleeping peacefully. We also have woodpeckers but I can’t see them. I can hear them both calling and pecking but they must be further in the trees just out of sight. The Magpies are a pain though, they are so cheeky, so noisy and come and tease my cats, Poor Ash got attacked by two magpies!
I’ve made scotch eggs in the past but I don’t think they looked as good as yours.
And walking, I really miss walking. I would give anything for a good country walk like I used to do, it seems like such a long time ago now. I’m not complaining though, I managed just over 50 years of walking, including doing 9 miles a day when my children were walked to school by me and the Little Man walked to nursery (he’d go in his pushchair as it was a bit far.)
I bet the woodpeckers are in the trees at the back of your garden. Just out of sight. It sounds as if your garden is full of birds.
Those scotch eggs look lovely 🙂 I’ve never attempted them, maybe I should. How wonderful to see all that wildlife. We seem to have a lot of birds round here, and I did see a fox at 3 in the morning once
Scotch eggs as very easy to make. I love this recipe because they are baked not fried.
Oh those scotch eggs look delicious. How lovely to see fawns and fox cubs while out on your walk and to have such lovely places for walks on your doorstep. I love your photos of the blackbird and robin. We have blackbirds and robins visiting our garden regularly and I love to watch and listen to them singing. #WotW
It is wonderful to see all the birds in the garden.
I wish my home was more in the country so I could take walks and see all the creatures of the woods. My little home is in a subdivision and my walks take me by more houses. It’s not the same. Sounds like you are having a nice time with your family during lockdown. Sending you warm thoughts for good days. #MMBC
I love seeing people’s gardens, so your walk sounds good to me.
Your walks sound so wonderful. You have taken some beautiful photos! Pity the deer ran before you could get a good shot. #MMBC
I didn’t even think to get my camera out. Lovely sharing the moment with my Eldest teen.
I will have to return and reread this post…it is pleasingly chatty with lovely photos but I have to confess I’m hungry and the scotch eggs photo looks so delicious that I must go find something to eat …not unfortunately scotch eggs…..
Makes note to self: put spurious food photos at end of the blog post. 😆
Being surrounded by so much wildlife must be incredible. We do get a lot of birds in our garden, but see little else as we live in quite a built up area. The hope is to move to the edge of the countryside. My fingers are crossed that we have a similar experience to you one day! #wotw
I hope you live your dream.
Your walks sound idyllic. I’m so glad we have the woodland tracks and the fields around us because the canal towpaths are just too busy at the moment.
We have a woodpecker nearby, but I haven’t managed to get a photo yet.
I now have a bit of a craving for scotch eggs going on! 😆
I can imagine the canal walks get busy. Good job you know other paths to take. Good luck with the woodpecker photo. I’m still trying!