Walking and Thinking

I may have mentioned that most mornings I go for a walk - I call it walking to work' because without it I would probably settle at my desk and stay there and rarely, if ever cross over the threshold of my home.

So I go out and walk and then I know I can sit for hours if I want/need to and it won't matter. I've already done those magic 10,000 paces that the doctors tell us will keep us fit and healthy.

One of my favourite aspects of my walk is the fact that, being early in the morning, and so quiet before many people are up, I can spot wildlife and I also meet the dogs out for their walks - and their owners along with them. So this morning I saw the robins, hordes of magpies, a woodpecker, three squirrels and a whole family of rabbits.

Dog wise, there was the German Shepherd, several springer spaniels, the gorgeous golden labrador who was swimming in the park fountain, the gang of terriers who come with the lady in a mobility scooter (and they occasionally get a ride in the basket, specially the oldest one.) There were the two Dobermans and the big bearded collie with her owner who looks almost exactly like her. OK, she (the owner) doesn't have the beard but the curtain of streaked brown hair and the heavy fringe are so similar that I wonder if she thinks she'd looking in the mirror when she looks at her dog! There was my favourite cocker spaniel Ellie, and the smooth collie Tilly (I originally thought her owner called her Silly and believe me it fits perfectly!) and the Jack Russell who normally carries a stick about three times her size but today had picked up a conker and wasn't going to let it go.

The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the trees were just beginning to start to turn into their glorious autumnal colours. It wasa a great way to start the day.

The interesting thing is that I saw all these creatures and people and many of them - human and canine - said hello as we walked past each other. but none of them spotted the tall dark, brooding Greek with the scarred face who went on every inch of that walk with me, talking to me as we went.

Perhaps it's just as well, considering some of the things he was telling me!