Which all feels a bit weird!

I awoke Thursday, my back feeling kind of okay so io decided to get in a last ride oop north before taking up the dutiful daughter bit. It was a pleasant morning but not wanting to push my luck with the back, decided on a run out into Gaby country (well that of the first 4 books, not Germany), I used a bit of the Trans Pennine Trail spaghetti of trails - unmade woodland paths in this instance to break free of the city. Then it was into Derbyshire, over the M1 and the lanes to Cresswell Crags before crossing into Robin Hood land for the short run to my lunch stop at Carburton.

After an all day breakfast - i was too early for the lunch menu, i set off once more, taking in Fanny's Grove before passing through Meden Vale and Church Warsop, the former Bond home and still where the Peters live. More squiggling about on some of my favourite lanes brought me to Clowne where i picked up the fairly new Clowne Greenway, the loose surface of which was like riding on marbles! Through Staveley then the long haul over Marsh Lane to my former home before looping back through the city to complete 90km which even on a 'flat' ride returned over 900m of climbing.

I spent longer with Dad when i got there, over three hours by the time i departed @ 6.30pm, and i still needed to eat and pack! Pater is much improved, he's got exercises for his arm and they are keen to get him walking better. They won't let him back home until he can largely look after himself, probably a couple more weeks. Anyhoo, by ten everything was squared away, Foxy in her case and everything else 'carefully' stowed ready for departure.

Friday arrived sunny and warm and it was with a heavy heart i started the days journeying. Its been a bit stressful over the last month what with one thing and another, spending time in GOC has been great but the situation hasn't been conducive to writing so feom that aspect i was looking forward to returning to a more regular timetable. By six i was back at Aunty Bev's (thanks for the lift Bev), tired, sad, relieved - lets just say the emotions were mixed.

Saturday was a bit weird, i usually have a ride but the weather looked a bit dubious on the forecast and anyway, i needed to reassemble Foxy. Of course, i've done that chore many times over the years, its not rocket science, i have done it in like 30 minutes, this time was closer to an hour by the time i finished arsing about. I's already decided to pass on a ride so next i thought i'd do a bit of remedial gardening, a bit of weeding and so on. Fast forward a couple of hours and i was looking at a couple of kilos of feral potatoes, some rhubarb and a pile of soft fruit, mainly goos gogs and marvelling at the courgettes and cucumbers that'll start cropping in the next week. Of course, the heavens then opened.

There's a threat of rain today, less likely later so i'll get in a short ride later, partly as a shakedown after the rebuild, and partly as i need the exercise! The back issues are reduced to a dull niggle, other lesser aches and pains replacing them and the cause of the back issues, the dodgy foot, is pretty much sorted too.

So, the results of the hair poll are in, thank you all for your input. There were votes for all the potential options but the winner, by a short head is, (drum roll) well a draw between these two colours.

So it looks like i'll be attempting to replicate the picture - maybe! All will be revealed hopefully next weekend.

Almost there, next up is another Gaby chapter, Have Wheels.... which is part 35 of book 25. Can Gaby get through a simple visit to Bern without any Drama? what do you think?

As for the rest of the week, well i want to get back down to some writing, the forecast re riding is less good, some nasty wet is coming through and i'd rather not ride in those conditions.

For now its adios, i'll be nack with more midweek,

Madeline Anafrid