Hiking

Monday:

Weight this morning 80.1 kg, up a little.

I knew today was going to be hot, tomorrow very hot, Wednesday stupidly hot. So if we wanted to be outside at all, it needed to be this morning. We went to a park by the river, but the kids didn't approve as the playground equipment was all on sand and they didn't want to get sand in their shoes. So we went for a walk. "Along the river" quickly became an almost vertical climb up the side of the ravine. There were steps cut into the boulders and carefully placed rocks, up and up.

And up and up. A couple of times I stopped for a rest and claimed I couldn't go any further but we kept going until we got to the lookout more or less at the top. At least I think this was the advertised official lookout, there was a little plaque on the rock but no fence, I didn't go too near the edge! My calves were hurting quite a bit and I bet I'll wake up stiff and unable to walk tomorrow! I took some photos from the top but they don't really show clearly how steep it was or how high above the river, which you can just see between the trees.

We climbed down again (hard on the knees), had a rest in the shade, then drove home and had some ice cream! It wasn't really part of my diet plan for the day, but then neither was an exhausting hike in the heat. More than an hour later after a rest, ice cream, and a cool shower, I was still hot and tomato-red in the face. And rather shaky about the legs.

Back to the park

Monday:

Today I weigh 83.5 kg, up from last week! My weight went down during the week then rapidly up, including half a kg overnight. My food wasn't perfect but it wasn't that bad, I don't think it was my diet that caused the gain of 1.3 kg in a few days. With my blood sugar up all weekend, I think it's infection and/or hormones or something. I'll just be extra careful with my food and avoid too many carbs.

Last week was all cold and rain but this week is forecast for sun. I went back to "my" park to do some writing. The prime benches (with tables, in full winter sun, right next to the river) were both taken (how dare they?) but I walked around for a while first and by then one of the tables was free and I got some good writing and thinking done.

A quasi-artistic view from the footbridge.

At the next table was a man with two black miniature poodles, just sitting. He was there when I got there and still there when I left. One poodle was well behaved, the other spent a lot of time yapping piercingly - the sound echoed around the hills in a rather interesting way - and chasing people and dogs who walked past. Her name was apparently "Becky Come Here". At least her owner thought that was her name, she didn't respond to it in any way! Nothing wrong with letting a dog run around in a park but owners of other dogs sometimes had a hard time controlling their leashed animals with Becky jumping in their face barking and ignoring calls to come away.

Tim finished reading my book today and seemed to like it. He's given me some feedback and written notes on the manuscript which I will go through tomorrow.

Exploring

Thursday:

This morning I set out to find the perfect spot to write. Sometimes I need a change from my desk at home. My criteria for the ideal spot were:

*Attractive view
*Table/bench for notebook or laptop
*Choice of sun or shade - or possibly indoors - for comfort in all weathers
*Neither too crowded nor too isolated
*Toilets
*Café to buy cups of tea
*Not too far away from home

I hadn't found a suitable café near home, so I went a little further afield (but not very far) to the river. I've driven over it many times on the long high bridge but never been down by the banks. After a little preliminary internet investigation, I crossed the bridge and drove down a winding road on the other side to the first park.

It was far from ideal. I felt very isolated, it was surrounded by bushland and there were only a few other people there; a guy packing up his canoe and a middle-aged couple who then left. There were benches next to the river, which looked muddy and unappealing, no tables for writing. Further back, behind trees, was a nice area with a playground and tables but scarily lonely. Also too shady. It probably has people on weekends.

This is the bridge I drove over, and the muddy bank.

I crossed over to my side of the river on a little low bridge because I saw a café there with tables outside. I ordered a hot chocolate and got a bit of writing done. It was very nice sitting in the winter sun. Then I started getting splashed with water. Another patron pointed out some birds (rainbow lorikeets) up in the gutter having a bath. My notebook got quite wet (very dirty water). I changed tables.

Although I liked the sunshine, it would be unpleasant in any other season but winter. And to get my view I had to look over a little road and a carpark first. The road wasn't busy, but the cars were fairly frequent and noisy. There was a shady park next to the café that might be nice in summer, I was considering it as a possible spot for the future.

With hopes of finding something better, I crossed the low bridge again and drove alongside the river until I came to another park. And yay! it fulfilled just about every one of my requirements (except the cups of tea, and I could always take a thermos). It was pretty, with lots of tables and benches in sun or shade. Not too isolated with houses both sides of the river and quite a few people there; parents with children in the playground, a group having a BBQ, an old guy practising his golf swings on the football oval, people walking dogs. I could sit with my face to the river and still have the murmur of human voices nearby.

There were ducks on the water, kookaburras in the trees, and a little footbridge to walk across. And quite decent public toilets. Having found the perfect spot, I didn't manage to do any more writing! I sat enjoying the sun and the ducks for a while then, my foot being quite good today, I went for a little walk around including over the footbridge and back. I enjoyed myself very much, and had a lovely morning. And I did get some writing done, after all, at the second place. It was approaching lunchtime so I left, but I will definitely be back there.