Back in the the saddle, two dog walks

I don’t normally do so called dog walks, but for friends I do. In this case the day after I landed back in the UK and the day after that. I had planned to walk the chocolate lab with a friend and another dog around the nearby Dinton pastures, after a blood test. The test was to hopefully prove to the Blood Donation folded that my iron levels are ok after starting to take supplements, ,so I can resume donating plasma. I was sorting a few things out, including trying to find my newest walking boots that have gone missing. I tried to get into the car, the key would not work.  I tried the other one, no go. I know how to get into a car when the central locking does not respond, you flip a piece of plastic off the drivers door to reveal the key hole. After then I was in and.. flat battery. I think this car has in the past had its alarm trigger and I fancy it did this and flattened the battery, while I was away and being in a garage, no one heard it. The battery is new as it turns out. So battery charger out and Dinton cancelled. So we did a walk around the village and a coffee at home afterwards, as the Cosy Nook is closed for its short winter break.  In the afternoon I then made a Carrot Cake with the assistance of the  chocolate Labrador. My walking boots have not been found, I suspect annoyingly as they are very new, I took them off after a walk and left them behind instead of scooping them up and putting them in the car. Here is the cake.

On the Saturday, the cold I had caught was much worse, so my evening out was cancelled and also visiting a friend and her husband. But I was down to look after the Cocker Spaniel, after I did a big shop at the local Sainsbury’s. I wanted to give the car a big run, to give the battery a good boost after the over night charge. So off we went to Fingest which is in the Chilterns the other side of Henley. It’s a three hill walk, I imagine I have described it before here. I had an old pair of walking boots to use. We started at Fingest, the pub among many in this area used for filming Midsomer Murders. 

There happens to be a working red telephone box nearby, one of the only ones I know in the area. We went past the pub and up the hill from where you get great views all around. Years ago, I did this walk, they had snow and there were children playing on the hill on toboggans. Another time a big group of deer were disturbed by us and they went scampering across the hill, bouncing like they were on springs. Nothing like that today. The Spaniel was having a lovely time of it.

At the top you go into a small wood, come out and then go into a larger one downhill towards Skirmett. There are a few wooden memorial posts here, where people have been buried, a much more friendly way than being buried in a churchyard, or  perhaps ashes have been scattered, even better. Either way we headed on down, meeting people as we went. In Skirmet we had a look at the Frog pub, still closed, but at least renovations seem to be underway. The old owners ran a nice place, they did super value baguettes, and we stayed a couple of times, in upstairs rooms. We went through the village and then turned left up a track. Here there is a stream, that runs all the way to and through nearby Hambledon. With the rain we have had it’s flowing well. The Spaniel is obsessed by water and had to go in. It was only three degrees outside, the water must have been freezing.

This hill is the steepest and  now the Spaniel was slowing down and taking sniff stops. We were soon at the top and had our first good glimpse of the nearby windmill. We were racing around.. we started meeting people we had met earlier on the walk. We went down towards a road, crossed it, to Turville. This village has been used for many filming day including the Vicar of Dibley. Our final climb had us initially walking up towards the windmill, it was up for sale not long ago for several million, and then turning right to head towards Fingest again. 

We were soon back at the start of the walk, and it was only just twelve. The church tower was at Fingest, I believe is Norman. 

I decided to drive home, have a sandwich and then camp out back at the Spaniels house. I was feeling a bit worse for wear with the cold, so we cuddled up and had a nap together. It is been a super day.