Who's Entertaining Who?

Are you ready for a bit of a giggle? 

Parts of this video seem pasted together, so if you get bored, just turn it off because there's no specific outcome. Also, this is a classic video by phone where the phone should have been turned sideways.

More Walkers

Regular visitors to this blog (hello to all 6 of you, LOL!) know by now that I'm obsessed with long-distance walking. In the course of online research, I've come across quite a few walkers who also blog and/or vlog about their adventures. Abbie Barnes, Song Thrush Productions and Patrick Leach, The Solitary Rambler are two that I've recently mentioned.

A couple more: 

Ursula Martin is a British walker, a young woman who survived ovarian cancer in 2012 at age 31 and decided to bring awareness about the disease, its symptoms and the importance of early detection to the general public by walking throughout Wales. 3700 miles later, after walking on all the Welsh National Trails and after following all the major Welsh rivers from origin to sea, blogging all the way, she wrote a book about her life-changing experiences. 

Fast forward to 2018.

You might think that after so much walking that she'd be done with it. But no. Long-distance walking is addictive! She could hardly wait to leave on her next project after she'd propped up her finances a bit. In September she hitchhiked to Kiev in Ukraine and set out to walk home to Wales. It took weeks to travel across Ukraine to Romania and she arrived at the border on Nov. 22, just as the Russians decided to get feisty again. Whew! That would not be a place or situation to be caught up in!

Now she just has to avoid the bears in the Romanian mountains. I follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Here's an interview from Spring 2018:

The next walker, Hannah Englekamp, is not one that I'm very familiar with, but I mention her because she inspired Ursula for her walk in Wales and they became friends both through sharing their passion and being fellow Welsh writers.

In 2013 Hannah, 34 years old at the time, for reasons I have yet to figure out, decided to buy a donkey and enjoy a quiet meditative walk around Wales. 1000 miles in half a year.

  

Of course, the reality of the walk turned out quite different from Hannah's expectations, hardly surprising when you wonder how she and Chico would cope with the hundreds of stiles and kissing gates. And the fact that Chico is a donkey.

She wrote a book.

which I'm looking forward to reading.

There's also a film...here's the trailer:

By the way, Ursula and Hannah are both intrepid "wild campers", pitching their tents in unobtrusive spots along the way, unlike myself who appreciates a comfortable country B and B or Inn, with shower etc. at the end of each day.

I'm so grateful for all these walkers who share their adventures and give so many of us enjoyment! 

Therapy Horse

We've all heard of therapy dogs who are trained to visit people who are sick, disabled and/or elderly. What do you think about a therapy horse!

Peyo is a 14-year old stallion in France who visits retirement homes, hospitals and hospices to visit the patients. Of course, there is a lot of advance preparation for his visits - he is thoroughly washed, brushed and braided. His hooves are meticulously cleaned and oiled. He wears a coat and is accompanied by his best friend, Hassen Bouchakour, who has also prepared Peyo by teaching him manners and how to walk on different surfaces as well as the art of backing out of tight spots.

The equine visits have inspired and moved patients in many ways. Non-verbal patients have uttered a first word. Alzheimer's patients have had old memories triggered. Others have been moved to both smiles and tears. It is always an emotional encounter between horse and patient.

The following video explains a lot more about Peyo, though it is in French, so far, unfortunately, without English subtitles.

If you're interested, there's a bit more information here.

Wow! Look at that Light Sparkling on that Water!

I've recently discovered walking videos by the UK's Abbie Barnes, Song Thrush Productions. Abbie has been making films and winning awards for them since the age of 13. She is an avid outdoor enthusiast and fitness consultant and states as the aim of these popular walking videos, to encourage others to 'Spend more Time in the Wild' for the benefit of improving mental and physical wellbeing.

Abbie communicates extremely well the excitement, joy and senses of adventure and freedom found in long distance walking.

In July 2014 Abbie along with her mum, Pearl, walked the Hadrian's Wall National Trail from east to west, the opposite direction from Wendy and I in May 2017. I thought it was interesting that a lot of Abbie and her mum's comments reflected Wendy's and my experience. 

• the hardship of road walking - tarmac is hard on the feet and having cars hurtling past isn't fun
• traffic noise, also not enjoyable
• the annoyance of missing signs, walking in the wrong direction and having to backtrack - so reassuring that even experienced walkers have this happen to them, even more than once in the course of a long-distance trek
• trying to find the exit from farmers' fields
• the glory of the British countryside
• the absolute pleasure of connecting with other long-distance enthusiasts from around the world

At more than an hour long, this Hadrian's Wall video is maybe not of interest to many people unless they have walked or are planning to walk across Hadrian's Wall. In those cases, it's an excellent recollection/introduction.