4 January 2015 (Sunday) - Seven Miles of Mud

I made a New Year's resolution not to get embroiled in petty trivial on-line squabbles. It didn't last. Once again I've found myself arguing over trivia on the Internet with people I've never met (and never will). I really shouldn't, but as regular readers of this drivel will know, my piss is a volatile fluid which boils so easily. This particular squabble was about.... well, it doesn't really matter what it was about.

What does matter is that I shouldn't do it.

I had a frankly awful night. I woke at 2am, rull of energy and raring to go. I saw the time and tried to get back to sleep. However I didn't sleep for more than fifteen consecutive minutes from then on and finally got up shortly before 7am feeling really grim.

I scoffed brekkie, and on checking the Internet I had several personal messages egging me on in my latest on-line squabble. People should know better (!)

We rallied the troops, and set off for deepest Sussex where we met Dave and then six of us (and two small dogs) went on a geo-stroll round Battle Great Woods. I'd chosen these woods as somewhere equidistant for us to meet; in retrospect we should have met somewhere else and walked round pavements and cyclepaths. Don't get me wrong - we had a good time. But there's no denying this walk was seven miles of mud. Deep mud.

We did struggle finding our way in places; some of the footpaths were somewhat indistinct. In several places it was evident that the logging activities had taken no notice whatsoever of designated footpaths.

We had a worrying five minutes when "Furry Face ^TM" disappeared. Panic set in; but he hadn't run off. We found him walking towards us along the path we'd just walked along. Being off the lead he was taking his time and was struggling to get through mud which was deeper than he was tall.

Wading in the river did help to wash him off.

The geo-aspect of the walk (finding the concelead tupperware to the laymen!) was good; easy enough hides to find. One was... I won't give spoilers. I will say that it was a good cache; a good idea. But the cleverer a cache the more fragile it becomes. I fixed what I broke, but I suspect it will break again. Mind you I again used my tablet for doing the geo-stuff, and again (after an initial hiccup) it worked rather well.

And I took some photos whilst we were out as well.

We finished the walk just as it was getting cold. "er indoors ^TM" flattened a pheasant on the way home, and once home "Furry Face ^TM" had a bath. He was particularly grubby. I then washed off our boots and with everything then sparkling I spent a little while unblocking the bath plug hole.

After a rather good roast dinner we settled in front of the telly and got more stuff watched from the SkyPlus box. We've now get twenty per cent of the space on it clear again. Can't remember how long it is since we last had that much space clear...