annanotbob2's Diaryland Diary
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Walking
Monday Night
I am doing this new walking challenge - to walk 1000 miles in 2017. It sounds massive, but isn't really - it's 2.74 miles a day, which is about 6000 steps for me, so what I was doing already. I've decided to make it three miles a day and have done at least this every day so far, without any particular hassle, though with a small amount of 'going for a walk' or at least taking the long way round. And, early days though it is, so far it has been just fantastic. It isn't just out of the blue - I had been doing 6000 daily steps in a half-arsed sort of way for a few years, then in mid-September committed to not missing days, so it's since then that most of the benefits have been building up. I fucking love being outside in all weathers, I just love it. A large part of it must be the element of choice. I didn't love it when I didn't have a car and had to walk a mile to the bus stop, or when I had to push a buggy into a howling winter gale to get to the shops. I've only realised this as I've been writing - yay for writing - but whatever the cause, it does feel abso-fucking-lutely brilliant and invigorating, to be out in the rain, striding out, getting wet. It's also knowing you'll be dry and warm again - ah man, this understaing mught start to piss me off - I was all mystic about it - have been for days - now it starting to turn rational and a bit self-serving. So fuck that.
The other thing I'm liking, well, a bit, is the facebook page for the walking. Fuck me, but all of human life is there. I have to resist the temptation to jump into great long threads about different kinds of walking boots to 'humble-brag' about only wearing wellies or Uggs. That lot get on my nerves - the ones who climbed Snowdon at the weekend and are going to nip up Everest in their lunch hour, but as a nosey person I do like to have glimpses into lives I'm never going to live. There's been much discussion about 'the ten most important things to take with you' when you go walking. Blimey. I just go.
Pics from walks so far. That first one was Day 1, raining so hard I had to take my glasses off.
Tuesday night.
It will be my sister's 60th birthday soon so I thought I'd do her a picture of something to do with her horses as they're her own true loves. I can't draw horses in general, let alone a specific horse, with its own face and body and all, so I thought I'd tear one out of a picture and draw/paint round it and I'm practising. This is Ringo, looking out of his stall - he's an absolute shocker - he threw sis off once, giving her concussion that temporarily gave her brain damage so that she was just like ED, which is when I went right off him, to be honest, but he's also thrown another person off, breaking her pelvis complicatedly, which put her in a wheelchair for over a year. But Sis loves him... I haven't had the time or space
[gallery ids="164637,164638" type="rectangular"]
to engage properly with this project yet - these have both been rushed off in less than an hour each, but I've bought a canvas and i'm going to try and do something decent.
I am grateful for: feeling less depressed albeit still just as anxious; walking; cameras in phones; art; friends; warm bed
And you - thanks for reading. Hope all is well in your world.
1:07 a.m. - 11.01.17
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