Viking!

20th January 2013

This morning, I left sharp on 6.15am wearing my Yeti gaiters and many layers. The sky was very dark and laden with cloud. Even the garden birds were quiet; no noisy Rooks this morning. Where there was mud, there was now frozen ground under snow. I'm not sure which is more difficult to walk on. The roads were traitorous, and I tried to walk in the centre where there was soft snow.

The cockerel was giving it all at Crouch. Noisy bugger! Then it started to snow again at around 8am.

I walked by Doris's bench as it is rather exposed, to find some shelter for breakfast which I found: a large ivy-covered oak on a bank in the wood at Basted Mill and I hunkered down there. It was quite dry, though by this time the snow was getting blizzard-like. Had to undress for a pee - very difficult to find my willy and hands so cold!

I had the last of the chestnut soup with homemade bread. I was joined by a couple of Robins (which squabbled) and two Woodpeckers drumming above me in the oak.

I scared the bejesus out of a woman walking her dogs (they wanted food). I apologized, as I was a little hidden.

I had a second break of Christmas cake and coffee in Yopps Green and more birds joined me there. I fed them bread and cake which they were very grateful for.

The weather worsened further when I reached Dunks Green; I was walking south, so I was facing away from the worst of it. As I neared the river, Jenny Wren asked for food, but I had none. Oh dear, the look in her eye! There was some gorse in flower here, in the snow!

A very hard and adventurous walk - I'm a VIKING!