56,546 Steps From Cury To A Field Between Prussia Cove & Perranuthnoe & Then Back Again

Another day of mist
The edge of the world
Enticed by the air of mystery
I eagerly persist
Long grass
Stinging nettles
Drenched and heavy
Soak my legs
Cool my feet
A path
Familiar
Comforting
A deep earthy brown
Succulent
Squelchy
I slip
I slide
Cautious steps taken
The body tense
The stride shortened
The usual glee of freedom
The usual soreness in the feet
An impatience
The half way point
Four hours and twenty minutes
A damp field
A soft seat
A quick rest
A flask of tea
Some needed food
The grey blanket rises
The sea starts to glisten
A hint of blue
At last.....
Some dry warmth
Wet muddy legs begin to dry
Rain covers come off
The skin can breathe
A surreal moment
Sugar levels low
I detach from my physical body
An unexpected thrill
A sensuous sensation is savoured
A mouthful of sweets
Nectarous satisfaction
The blood restored
Back down to Earth
Recharged
Highly focused
An avid stomp takes over
I'm carried home
Another journey completed
Thirty coastal miles
Eight hours and forty-five minutes

An Evening Of Merriment!!

Santana
Swingball
Dancing on the lawn
The ladies strut their stuff!

A Solstice Stroll

Wednesday 20 June 2012: 26,825 Steps Shrouded In Slate

Yesterday's playful sparkle
Now shrouded by slate
The beauty heavier
Colours less brilliant to the eye
Yet their splendours no fewer

Tuesday 19 June 2012: 33,811 Steps Through What Flows

No matter how tired
How much the feet ache
I am in my place
The ochre grasses
The soothing vibrancy of the sea
Is as much part of me
As the air I breathe
The blood and being that flows
Through every cell of my body
That something
That pure essence of all
Is raw
It shines through
In my place

Some Apt Words From Wordsworth

.....For I have Learned
To look on nature, not as in the hour
Of thoughtless youth, but hearing oftentimes
The still, sad music of humanity,
Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power
To chasten and subdue. And I have felt
A presence that disturbs me with the joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,
And the round ocean, and the living air,
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man,
A motion and a spirit, that impels
All thinking things, all objects of all thought,
And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still
A lover of the meadows and the woods,
And mountains; and of all that we behold
From this green earth; of all the mighty world
Of eye and ear, both what they half create,
And what perceive; well pleased to recognise
In nature and the language of the sense,
The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,
The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul
Of all my moral being.

Lines Written A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey By William Wordsworth

11,802 Steps Being Under The Sky And Amongst The Green

Today's venture out into the fresh air and sunshine was much needed and a joy.

On Friday I drove to London and back, this was not the plan originally but seemed the best thing to do for many reasons. Having left home at 5am, the car empty except for myself, my daughter, small overnight bag and a sleeping bag, the intention was to stay for the night. However, we ended up returning at midnight with the car full of a nineteen year old student's belongings (mostly shoes and clothes in this case!) I was shattered. This type of travelling was new to me, along with dealing with city traffic, which did go surprisingly well.....thankfully. I was drunk with tiredness and any thoughts or words I had to share were gibberish......apparently!

The next day was spent drifting around in a strange spaced out bubble and sorting out the many bags of washing.....By Sunday I felt better, an equilibrium found and by the evening I was twitchy having missed out on my usual fresh air and on foot adventures. I went to bed promising myself I'd spend Monday outdoors no matter what the weather. I was craving the feeling of being under the sky and amongst the green.

I kept the promise and in my usual 'I don't do things by half' way I went for a 20 mile coastal run. Having not run this far for nearly 2 years I was happy with my efforts and it was such a relief to be out in the landscape moving and being again, even the sunshine had returned. But even having arrived back home satisfied and happy, after a much needed shower, some food and a cup of tea my sore feet were still itching to be out.....so the shoes went back on and with the camera I stepped out again, this time at a more leisurely pace. Yes, the legs were a little tired, feet were sore but once again I was in a place I belonged and I savoured the freedom and space to ruminate over what flowed through me with every step I took.

All these journeys I take whether they are driven, ran or walked are realisations of my capabilities and an appreciation of who I am. To some, the achievements may seem little, insignificant, even pointless or not worth the recognition. Thankfully I am learning not to place too much gravity on the opinion of others. I always listen, we have much to share with and learn from one another, but to worry too much about what others think of what you chose to do, think and be is a bad habit us human beings have gotten ourselves into. Whats even worse is how much we all seem to doubt ourselves and our own feelings so much and look for constant approval from others.

I do understand the confidence and joy it brings to share our achievements and to have them recognised but what freedom we would have to be ourselves without this illusion of need.

Steps To Be Taken

The radiance lies deep down
Ever closer
It's presence rising to the surface
A gradual blossoming
Just within sight of the mind's eye
And very much accepted
The warmth of knowing
The ease of belonging
The allowed flutter of passion
At times
Overwhelms
All consumes
An impatience occurs
It tightens the chest
The change
That will come with it's liberation
Is eagerly awaited
The persistent need to hold the cognition
Is tamed by a celestial assurance
Yet afflicted by those deadly notions
Of self doubt
A lack of self credence and conviction
Feats are executed
The glory of identified abilities
Soon pushed to one side
Underrated
Short lived
So the search has to be continued
A destined path is becoming more defined
Intended journeys to be walked
But will the underlying wavering
Create a distorted fog that disables
Will a courage be mustered
Self certitude
A worthiness realised
Permitting the steps to be taken

32,752 Steps: Inner Cloud

Today I walk with a heavy heart and a heavy body
The usual enthusiasm is dampened by a tiredness that plagues
I'm surrounded by such delicate beauty
The sight of which persuade tears
Direction and meaning have become obscured by a cloud of doubt
My heart aches for a connection
One that I can feel with my instinct
But stays out of reach
The fragrance of warming grass embraces me
It dances gracefully in the sea breeze
The soft heads bowing to the sun
Gently caress my exposed ankles
And as I wander this uneven path
The sunshine warms my skin
The sea whispers its comforting words
A confused mind is soothed
The pace hastens
The stride lengthens
The heart rate quickens
The body becomes damp with exertion
And once again, finally
Freedom and purpose are tasted
The inner cloud clears
The lucidity of the sky shines through
A returned faith
In the knowledge that the answers I look for
Will become apparent when needed
A returned faith that lies in my heart

8 June 2012: 24,161 Steps In The Glory Of Evening Sunshine

35,329 Steps Through My Place Of Belonging.

858 Steps
With eagerness
I step into my place of belonging
The space where time does not matter
I soak up this knowledge
Savouring every moment
The urge to move is less urgent than normal
The tiredness, alien in my system
Slows my pace

2064 Steps
Shaded woodland
Hiding creatures of my imagination
Or are they?
Behind the green carpet observed through my eyes
There is something there
I feel it
I almost see it
In my peripheral world they exist
They watch
They accompany
They communicate a connection
A link that at one time I knew was there
A fully conscious conversation
But now it is just a whisper
A memory
I glimpse, taste and feel in my wanderings on foot
And here I share that world with you
And as I walk
Through this preferred reality
With anticipation and the fear of the unknown
I feel at home
In my place of belonging

2588 Steps
As I wander through a field of hip high grass and buttercups
I feel the White Rabbit glance at me
Check his pocket watch
Then disappear with an air of impatience
I continue to walk
The wet, soft grass
Sensuous
Caresses my bare thighs

6486 Steps

7513 Steps
A river crossing

7545 Steps
Sunshine on my face

8341 Steps

11050 Steps

13328
Open moorland
A space of isolation
Exposed
Intimidating
Not a soul to be seen

14319 Steps
A new path
Churned up by the steps of cattle
The inner dread of meeting what made such deep ruts in the earth
Do I turn back?
No

19673 Steps
Cattle
Many steps taken in panic
Barbed wire and bogs

22414 Steps
Finally a place to rest
Panic over
I sit and reground in the green



















23321 Steps
With some relief
From moor to coast
The reassurance of the sea

A Heavy Head, Sore Throat & Aching Body: 5819 Gentle Steps Taken

1819 Steps
The moment I first glimpse the sea
Its hazy horizon
Silver, it glistens
Its usual roar a whisper today
A slow, tired body and mind
Eases into the gentle rhythm of the seas soft flow

2727 Steps
A carpet of smooth pebbles
Rocks and rock pools
The shoreline now closer
The whisper now louder

3040 Steps
Standing on the edge
An expanse of shimmering space that beckons

5261 Steps
Hedgerows
Warm and soft
Lush and overflowing