Well, it’s pretty good around here, as you see from the signpost. I went a long walk around the lanes and a couple of villages away. Glad I’d got my camera with me.
The farmers have been busy rolling up the hay as well, fields full of those mini circles everywhere, looking lovely. I met a man picking black berries, and told him those ones were scabby, he needed to go to another area to get better ones. He got into conversation, and I told him he needed to go the opposite way. Next minute he was walking along with me talking far too much for my liking.
Round here, you can set out in Warwickshire, then up the road you’re in Staffordshire, and carry on far a bit longer and you’ll be on the borders of Leicestershire. We’re well and truly in the shires…
I’m sure he was harmless, but my strides got slightly longer, and slightly longer still. Having only little legs, this was quite a task without appearing too obvious. Then I said, ‘Oh, well, must go,” and did enormous strides and escaped. As soon as I rounded the corner I ran for my life. How dare he spoil my walk and ask too many questions.
So now I stick to the pathways where there are houses and people around. You find weird people walking in the countryside. I’ve got some great animal photos, but my email site is under maintenance, so I’ll add them in a day or so. When that man passed, I was talking to the cows, so he probably thought I was an odd-ball as well.
Great author interview coming soon, check back to find out more and see the collection of animals I’ve been talking to lately.
The black and white cow came up to the gate for a chat, he didn’t have a lot to say, but he’s a good listener. The green eyed cat came in for a nap, and wasn’t too impressed when I told him it was time to go home. The horse went past as I drove round the lanes. He’s called Robby, and I said, ‘Aren’t you lovely, and he nodded’ his rider agreed as well, that he’s a handsome lad.
I can’t resist these late summer scenes, so precious.
These two brothers live next door; they use our son’s trailer as a handy resting place in the afternoons. The black canvas gets warm and they have a good vantage point as well. The black one looks in to keep an eye on what you’re up to. The other one loves to roll over for a cuddle.
Couldn’t resist taking a picture of this wonderful display, the owner wouldn’t mind, and they are a bit gorgeous aren’t they?
Susan Jones 
Honestly, Suzy, you shouldn’t be allowed out on your own! And the two of us can never go for a walk together. We’d probably get abducted by aliens or something else equally as exciting/disastrous. I was on the North Hill of the Malverns a few weeks ago and met Father Christmas. It was a hot day but he was in a red suit, white beard and five minutes later I saw a deer. Not a reindeer though. It was a muntjack. (Not sure of spelling there.)
Hi, Lovely Lynne, Yes, spelling is how I’d put it and we have those little darlings in our woods as well. The chap looked harmless, bit old and wrinkled, but he got so involved in ‘where do you live then?’ and all that jazz. I had my phone in my hand, and said, ‘oh, just on the phone to my son, he’s a fireman you know, yes, meeting him soon.’ Poor fella, he had a little square box to put his scabby blackberries in. We take a supermarket bag each and fill it up in no time. We probably would end up on the moon if we went out together. Glad you popped in, xx
Didn’t your mother ever warn you about talking to strange men?
Erm, I think she might have, I never was one to listen to advice though, that’s perhaps where I’m going wrong. Glad you popped in, Julia.
Make sure you always carry your phone when you go a-wandering.
Ha, yes I did, and made out I was having a conversation with my son. I wasn’t really, but I had been texting him earlier on in the walk. Good advice, thanks. I’m gardening today instead though.
Perhaps he fancied you, Susan?
Ha ha, it was looking a bit that way, and I suddenly got rocket fuel in my trainers, Sally.
Sounds like an eventful walk, Suzy – poor man probably enjoyed seeing a friendly face! You were probably wise not to linger too long though. I love late summer when autumn is beginning to appear (my favourite season). Lovely animal photos.
Of course, he only wanted to walk and chat. Thing is, my family constantly tell me not to go through the woods alone, but it’s so lovely. I’d told him to go the other way for better blackberries though, and he came up and walked by my side and I’d hate to be that woman found under a bush, killed from being force fed blackberries, when I have been warned:)) And I’ve got an over active imagination of course as well.
Where I live is beautiful. I can walk from the village to the river or the South Downs. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
Sounds bliss, Wendy. Are you near Simon Brett? If I lived that close, I’d be knocking on his door. Oh, then I’d be stalking like my blackberry man, so maybe not. Glad you popped in.
Oh dear, that does sound like he was being uncomfortably over-friendly. I have the opposite experiences. In remote areas, the only people I meet are friendly and I always feel very safe. It’s only on the edges of towns I feel uneasy, or in those in-between zones of industrial estates and storage yards.
I was following the road back to the main road that led out of the wood, Ruth. A bit of an in-between zone. Normally everyone is friendly, but he said he wasn’t from round here, and was picking duff blackberries, and he didn’t go to where I said the better ones were. Something about him made me feel uncomfortable, but he was probably harmless. I didn’t want to chance it though. I’ve got too many good things going on to become a statistic:))
I had to laugh about you turning the corner and running! But I don’t blame you. I don’t like people invading my space either and he sounds quite in-your-face.
Lovely photos. If you and Lynne ever go for a walk together, I’d like to come too 🙂 xx
Of course, that would be great. The three muskateers off on an adventure. We’d end up in the North of Scotland or planet venus though. Glad you liked the photo’s Teresa, and thanks for popping in. xx
Yes, I’m sure you could turn that encounter into the opening of a crime story … or another Redington episode if he turned out to be just a harmless blackberry forager. But I bet you’re a bit fitter after all those long strides and running!
You bet, Linda, I surprised myself. And will stick to the pathways for now, unless hubby’s with me. Good idea on the Redington episode.
Yeah – very odd people go walking in the countryside!
My thoughts exactly, Patsy.
The vision of you striding away from the blackberry man made me chuckle, Sue, as I like to think he was harmless. Can’t you turn it into a funny TV sketch with a couple of your one-liners? Otherwise, as Linda said, I’m sure there’s a Redington story in there! 🙂
You are right, Jan, he was probably lonely and glad of a chat and in any other environment I’d have had a good old chin wag: He was annoying though as I’d told him a few times the best blackberries were THAT way, opposite direction to the one I was walking in. I did a Monty Python impression getting a centimeter longer with each stride. It must have looked funny but all I could think was that I didn’t want to end up under a hedge with a face stuffed full of blackberries. He wouldn’t have had the energy I don’t think but you never know with folk do you?