Funny how you can be thankful & greatful for mud

 A great deal of us just take for granted being able to go out and carry out our day-to-day lives. Whether that be going out to work or to do a spot of shopping, meeting friends for a chat over a cuppa, or carrying out some form of outdoor exercise. With what has been happening with this pandemic, all of our lives have been turned upside down and many of the things we used to do or take part in have either changed drastically or we are not at the moment able to do them. It is generally only when you cannot do something that you realise "I really would like to do that".

The 3 Stones at the top of the Black Path

Sandman Hoggar Ti

 

It's quite strange as way before this pandemic going back to 1995 when I first took ill with my leg I experienced what felt to me looking back a certain social isolation. This went on for many years as I fought to keep my leg, however we all know how that turned out, and when I eventually elected to have my amputation, well instead of disabling me it actually enabled me to do more. So I guess now that I am shielding, for me, it has not been so bad, as I have experience of being "stuck in" somewhat and can always find something to do. On the odd occasions I cannot find something to do I am pretty good at hiding under my quilt and switching off from the world entering into my imaginary world, with thoughts of my dream home and the things I will be doing in Scotland.

I am quite a reflective soul, I guess this comes from life experience. I try not to take things for granted or plan too far ahead. When I am at work, as I park up in my regular spot and go to lock wee Tango my ickle Smart car and I pop her keys in my pocket I always feel for a small pebble which I carry with me. Anyone looking at it would just see a smooth unremarkable little pebble. I picked it up some years ago from some beach or another as I liked its smooth appearance. Anyhoo this small rock, when ever I feel it in my pocket reminds me to reflect on all I have and on how fortunate I am. It's especially relevant to me when leaving work, as I think about the many patients who are unable to go home, due to illness and how even when it appears I have had a crap day, in reality was it really that bad.

Glenn and Sandman

  

I guess this gets me around to today and how I am ever so grateful to be able to go out and play in the mud like a big kid with my mate John. I have a few years on John, but there is a right pair of us. Off on a local adventure and discovering geet big, muddy puddles to splash through. I think some of my childish tendencies may have rubbed off on John as when we first started knocking about on our bikes, he was on a mission to keep as clean as possible, now however he is quite the opposite and takes great pleasure in getting as filthy as possible.

I rode up Durham Road today to call on John. Man that bank is steep, it always feels like a bit of an achievement to get to the top and although that burn in my lungs did not feel great at first, once I had time to recover the fresh air was heaven.

All the way up to John's then we rallied all the way back down and headed through the allotments, near the burn, which was surprisingly low, we then came out near Bloemfontein Primary school. From there we headed along past South Moor Golf course and the new housing estate on the Old South Moor Hospital grounds and up to South Moor.

Once in South Moor we went up I think it was Popular Street I always get mixed up, anyhoo at the top of the street we rode up the back of Ivy Terrace and were soon at the "Black Path". I asked John did he know the "Black Path" as a kid. John went on to tell me he never ventured over this way as a young'un, so although we have ridden up the path, he only knows it's called the "Black path" because of me.

Snowdrops

I then went on to give John a brief history lesson. You see the "Black Path" is not all that black now, it's more or less a narrow tarmac path leading from the streets at South Moor up to Langley View. Back in the day this path was as black as a "craw" or crow. This was due to all the coal and the slag heaps. I spoke to John of my recollections from when I was a kid, how I used to play in the what seemed to me in my child's memory a huge pond, which was at the top of "Our Street" (Mitchell Street).

I used to catch and collect tad poles, frogs and newts. There used to be massive pit heaps, which again as a child looked like mountains, these stretched right across the horizon going from Langley View to  the top of Oxhill, where there was a makeshift trail near the allotments which are near to School Terrace and the like. It was quite the thrill sliding down these huge mounds of dirt and coal on a piece of lino.

At the top of the Black Path there are 3 rather stones, they used to be quite large, however time has worn them away, they are older than me. Funnily enough each time I ride this route it reminds me of my mam, probably because before telephones this was the route we took to visit my Nana and Grandad and my Aunty Claire and Uncle Dave who all lived in New Kyo to keep Intouch.

I can still remember me and wor David meeting Aunty Ann on her payday and she used to take us to the Newspaper shop in "Kya" and buy us a Matchbox car each. Wow! If only I still had all those cars in their boxes they would be worth a small fortune. Great memories. Isn't it funny how getting out and about locally can bring back so much, the sights the sounds, the fresh air.

Following on from the Black Path John and I headed as if going towards the drift, however went through an access gate into the large open field. We rode down towards where the pond and marsh grass and reeds have been purposely planted.

I think it's some sort of a government funded scheme to decontaminate the water in the area, as due to their still being a lot of coal and as such coal oil the water can become polluted and very dirty looking. In certain areas locally you can actually see where stagnant water has formed and in the sunshine the multitude of colours as the oil floats on its surface.

Cutting down over the field

Glenn & John

A bit muddy here

Lots of Marsh land here

 

Anyhoo down by the bottom of the field in the dip it was pretty muddy, and we had a proper laugh just messing around on our bikes and getting a few pics.

 

Glenn on Sandman Hoggar Ti

Riding through marshy ground

 

John taking a snap of pond

Marsh and reed beds installed

As we rode back up the other field and entered the woods, this is where the trail became proper deep with mud and huge puddles, so of course we also had a play here, be rude not to. By this time John was soaking wet and filthy. He mentioned "I will have to get home before wor lass and get the washer on" LoL

   

Better get home quick afore wor lass sees me gear

  

Splish Splash

We then rode over on to Chapman's Well nature reserve and did a complete loop,  going up the farmers rugged trail, which again had me puffing and blowing, then came back down the other side at the Stream Valley. The horses had the trails like mush the further along we went, so riding was a bit sketchy.

Eventually we had looped back around to the pond at Chapman's so headed back the way we had come and towards Quakies. As we got down to the small bridge as I do every time I ride here I thought, something along the lines "22 bricks and from there go to the bridge and look under a stone by the water" or something to this effect. You see a number of years ago John and my other mate Lee we were doing some Geo-Caching and found everything the clues guided us to in the area apart from this one stash. It has bugged me ever since. I have looked under every stone near the bridge and now just put it down to someone having nicked "Our Treasure" Lol.

From near Quakies we took a Left turn and continued up the gravel trail to near the Morrison and from there headed home. As we rode John mentioned it had been a canny ride, saying he thought we had done about 7 or 8 miles, turns out we had done 11.33 when I checked my Strava.
 

Back home a quick wash of my Sandman and a change of gear. A little bit time to warm up, then I transferred the images from today on to my pc. I had experimented with my new GoPro Hero 9 today. It's a right pain in the arse wearing gigs as I cannot see the little display so have to keep popping my glasses on to do anything and set up the camera. There appears a few more options than on my Hero 5, so just getting to grips with all the various settings. I think I should get some better stills once I know what I am doing.

And so that is Day 493 done. That is 493 days where I have ridden every day. This is all down to support from Brian Bartlett, Pace Rehabilitation and the Arctic ONE foundation, as without these guys I would probably be still "stuck in" the house feeling disabled.

If you would like to help to Arctic ONE I am aiming to continue cycling every day this year and your support will drive me on to complete this challenge.

Hey if you feel you could help me to support Arctic ONE, thank you ever so much.

Thanks