not exactly but there abouts.

A year that has been eventful and life challenging and that was before Covid 19 blighted things even more. Did I make the right call a year ago? Was there an alternative to the course that I took? Certainly my life has changed, for the better? Well that's a matter of viewpoint I guess, my family are no longer 'just around the corner', ditto my friends - I'm not a particularly outgoing person, replacing them in my life isn't going to happen soon, I sometimes feel that I exchanged one less than good set of circumstances for another with different issues. The whole pandemic thing hasn't helped me to resolve anything, if anything its making it harder to make any positive moves for the future, any commitment to work, healthcare etc feels like a nail in the coffin to my hope to return to what I consider to be my real home.

Of course, I'm eternally grateful to all those who expressed concern and assistance a year ago - and ongoing of course, I truly don't know whare I would be now without that support. My world is in limbo but I'm conscious that the clock of life continues to tick and I'm still uncertain as to where I should direct my future.

Right, that's my Sunday pondering out of the way, what has been happening in my world this week? I've got a bit more back on track with my exercise regime this week so Thursday I set out for a relatively short loop through the Vale of Berkeley and back via the south Cotswolds. It was dry but very noticeably quite cool which prompted a bacon bap when I stopped for a cuppa near Stroud.

Back on the road I tackled the climb onto the Cotswolds, the weather brightening up some as I cut across the plain to the Malmesbury area before heading back westwards. I still had my lunch when I got to Badminton so I made a stop to eat, sitting in the sunshine which was doing little to keep me warm. Directly its about an hour return from the animal court but I took a more looping route which deposited me at the café on the Bath & Bristol, well tea and cake had been calling since lunch! All in 123km, 900m of up and not too much discomfort from injured bits.

Friday I had planned on going for a bit of a walk but to be honest I didn't have the mojo so when Bev suggested hitting the garden centre, I was there. Okay, its not everyones cup of tea but it was some different grey cell stimulation and we did have a cuppa whilst we were there too. Afterwards I went for the weekend shop - how is it I never end up with complete meals? Well I did make us a chicken Bhuna for tea, its been a curry sort of week.

Which brings us to Saturday. With the wind moving around to the north east I set my target as the edge of the north Wessex downs, a bit more adventurous than the over ridden roads north of here. It was another grey day, maybe a tad warmer than Thursday but even so I sought out shelter for my sandwich stop which I took at Cherhill in the shadow almost of the currently very green White Horse!. A loop through the western 'foothills' took me to Maud Heath's Causeway, a raised path across the Avon flood plain at Kellaways, funded originally by Maud Heath in 1496 and maintained and kept for the 500 plus years since by the trust she set up. As historic architecture and features go its not very spectacular, of more import to the locals than outsiders but I find it more impressive for that, that Maud was public spirited enough to fund the original and provide a trust for its maintenance which is still actively responsible all this time later.

I pushed on, the climb back across the Cotswolds having a little wind assistance before dropping off the western edge and returning to Brizzles eastern edges. Another 900m day but a few km longer at 131 of the things, I arrived back chilled and in more discomfort than Thursday although riding hadn't been too bad. The plan is to step things up a little this next week, just a few km and a few extra metres, the engine is pretty much back to pre incident performance, its just the durability that needs some work.

So here we are today, I've posted the next chapter of Avoidance, number ten, Ernst. Gab has some explaining to do but then things get a bit more interesting as they share a barbecue with the lads camped next door.

Apparently I've been a member of the BC collective for 15 years 12 months now, the site and my scribble posting has resulted in some hard friendships and lively meetings. I'm always encouraged by even the occasional comments that I receive and the support that I have had over the years. Since my last paid work ended in a third redundancy five years ago I've been reliant on book sales through Kindle and Lulu for my income (I don't claim unemployment or anything else, I ended up even poorer last time I did that), I'll never be rich from this course but it covers food and the occasional treat and for that I thank everyone who has supported me in this way, in the past present and future.

So there we are, another outpouring of angst from your girl of the north, currently 'stuck' in the south west (which is at least the safest place to be in regards to Covid)

Tschuss
Madeline Anafrid

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Dead Tree

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