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28 October 2012 (Sunday) - The Ashford Amble

I was rather late to bed last night and woke with some confusion this morning. The clock said shortly after 9am. Had I put the clock back last night or not? I couldn't remember. It turned out that I hadn't. I wish that we didn't have to mess about putting clocks forwards and backwards.

"My Boy TM" came to visit at 9am (the proper 9am). He'd stashed all sorts of fishing baits in our freezer and having got us to defrost them last night he was collecting them. It turns out that Cheryl won't have that stuff in her freezer. Sensible girl. While he pootled about getting fishing gear together I set about mending the shed roof. Somehow the felt had torn so I clambered up a ladder and bashed it back in place with some clout nails. I hope they stay put.
I then checked out Facebook and exchanged insults with loyal readers in Kuala Lumpar where the temperature is some thirty degrees higher than here.

A quick bit of cheese on toast and then the Bat called. we set off for Lisa and pausing only briefly to check out the geocache not five yards from Lisa's house we made our way to Godinton Park. One of our new friends we've found through geocaching had set up a guided walk of twelve caches. With two caches in Godinton, two random caches half way round the amble, and two puzzle caches off of amble cache10 it was a wonderful way to spend a bright (if cold) afternoon.
Eight of us (and a small dog) soon found the first Godinton cache and once the dog had finished rolling in something disgusting we made our way onto the Ashford Amble. Again geocaching took me to some rather beautiful places to walk. Fudge liked being allowed off the lead (wherever possible). As usual Fudge whined when we stopped to sign the geocache logs. For all that he is a trackable himself, and he has a series of caches named after him, he doesn't seem to join in with the spirit of geocaching. I blame his aunt's influence.

At the half way point of the amble we took a slight detour. Firstly to "The Drop", which featured a clever conundrum by a rather pretty waterfall, and then on to "Hog's River Copse" (a cache owned by "er indoors TM"). We then picked up the Ashford Amble again, and met an organised group of ramblers coming the other way. We exchanged pleasantries. As they wandered off behind us I reflected that the groups I so often organise must look like that bunch looked.

Ashford Amble cache 10 had us foxed. Several people had logged that they couldn't find it. Nor could we. However after a major search "er indoors TM" came up with the cache and a round of applause. It was at this point that we again put the amble on hold and did a couple of puzzle caches that were in the area. One involving astronomical expertise (good job we had Dave and the girls along!), and one involving scanning quick-codes. Both were works of genius.

Back to the Amble for the last two caches. And once back at the cars we drove round to Chestnut Grove. We could have walked, but it was four hundred yards and it was getting dark. And with the nineteenth cache of the day found and the log signed we said our goodbyes and made our way home.
Fudge slept all evening...

Settiing up a series of geocaches like today's takes a lot of effort. Full marks to "The Hurks" for such an enjoyable walk.


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