Slow down!

AR Walk 2: Stablebridge Road to just past Harebridge Road - 4 September 2014

It's very easy to rush everywhere and that's just what happened to me today. Ginger Nut had her first 'settling in' session at preschool so I planned to do my next walk with Pip. But it was a shorter session than normal and I was far from ready so in the end only ended up with an hour to walk. Parking in the same location as Walk 1 I was aiming to make it all the way to Halton village (4km/2.5m), picking up 6 geocaches along the way. I was seriously overambitious!

20 minutes in and I realised that I'd walked as far as my previous walk but I hadn't 'seen' anything because I'd got my head down and was walking quickly. I know that there are health benefits to walking briskly rather than dawdling, but I'm also aware that I want to enjoy these walks and take in the beauty around me. So I slowed down... not quite to toddler pace, but I made sure that I looked around me and stopped to appreciate God's amazing creation.


I saw a kingfisher teasingly darting ahead of me; each time I got close enough to take its picture it flew of again with a flash of iridescent blue.
I saw 'helicopters' in the trees and huge MOD signs as I passed by RAF Halton.
I saw the few remaining colours of summer; pinks and yellows and oranges.
I saw the first fruits of autumn starting to burst into fruity purple.
I saw a duck doing a poo in the water! (Ginger Nut would have appreciated that last observation!)
I saw leaves falling into the canal creating repetitions of circles working outwards.
I saw and I enjoyed.

Camouflage

Slowing down meant that I didn't achieve finding as many caches as I'd previously hoped, but AR14 Mandarin - Perry Mason investigates (GC4PZQ3) was a puzzle which I'd solved one evening whilst feeding Pip. There's something so satisfying about finding an answer and then actually finding the cache. AR16 Mandarin - Take a seat (GC4Q77V) was a traditional cache which was quickly found.
Our final walk was 3km/1.8m which really doesn't seem very far, but it was a good walk; I can feel it in my legs and shoulders! Hopefully over time I'll be able to build up my distances and when Ginger Nut has her usual 2 1/2 hours and I'm ready I should be able to go further.

Leaves on water

Walk Details
From: Stablebridge Road
To: Harebridge Road (just after)
Distance: 1.8m, 3km
Height Gain:
Route Description: Grand Union Canal Wendover Arm (disused) tow path
Duration: 1 hour
Ave Speed:
Region: Buckinghamshire
Walking With: Pip
Path: Aylesbury Ring

Map: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zbgVN-iW56BQ.kaNBoT9lLlXY