I've practically spent a week on my bike as John has been on holiday. I can now bounce pennies off my ass, but I'm sure I've gained weight.....must have been all those picnics. There's nothing nicer than eating outdoors.
We're lucky enough to have endless cycle paths around here. They go for miles in every direction, to the beach, along disused railway lines and along qaint country lanes. Everywhere we went, we came across people picking blackberries. I thought that was an outdated practice. Don't blackberries have little white worms in them? or is that an old wives tale. I've heard you have to soak them in water to get the worms out....anyway, it puts me off eating them.

It's a funny thing....when your out of the town or city and into countryfied areas, everyone you pass says hello.
It's as though you become part of some secret club. Imagine someone saying Hi on a train.......it's the total opposite isn't it. Avoid eye contact and slowly back away. The more crowded the place, the less people interact. Must be a survival thing!

We cycled to the beach the other day. It was brilliant. Fabulous views of dunes and pine forests.... and then we came across a young brown hare lying on it's side near the duck pond. The poor thing was thrashing, having some kind of fit, but unable to move. Some guy, trying to be helpful told me he'd put it out of it's misery.
I was concerned about this. The can of fosters in his hand didn't exactly inspire confidence, so I insisted on calling animal rescue. While waiting for them, some kid came along and threw so much bread at the poor hare, he almost smothered it. The ranger didn't want to know. He said lots of the hares and rabbits had a virus, probably myximotosis. [Is that how you spell it?] Anyway, I had to watcht he poor thing for the hour it took animal rescue to get there. Then it died! The girl from animal rescue said she comes across hares and rabbits in this state quite often and explained that when they start thrashing, they've had it, and the kindest thing to do is too dispatch of them as quickly as possible. She said she didn't have the stomach for it......neither do I. I aways think my first blow will just do more damage and not kill......

Anyway, on my travels I came across inumerable healthy birds and lots of oher wildlife. Kestrals, hawks, butterflies of every shape and size.....and I think I glimpsed a fox. It's great to go to places where you can't hear a car or mobile phone, well, except for mine!