The Hemlock Stone

I did a walk starting at the Hemlock Stone this morning. It is near my old house in Beeston. After the woods around the stone I followed a footpath along a stretch of disused canal - unfortunately the dogs decided to make use of the canal as a mud wallow.

I've found being back on the diet a bit harder this time and intended to go back on food today. However, this morning I didn't feel hungry so am staying on the diet for a bit longer as I am in Ketosis now and burning fat.

Back to Youlgreave

I intended to do an 11 mile circular walk taking in some of the many strange rock formations in this area, but cut it short as there was a cold wind blowing and (as happened last time I came to do this walk) I quickly became exhausted as its a hilly area and hills easily tire me out when I'm on the Cambridge diet.

I did at least find the right path this time and followed the Limestone Way as far as Robin Hood's Stride, the Nine Ladies Stone Circle and the rock formation containing the Hermits cave (a hermit is said to have lived there in the 14th century and has carved a figure of Jesus on the cross in one of the caves). The photo shows the approach to Robin Hood's stride, a rock formation shaped like a castle.

I didn't do the scramble up to the Hermits cave but, instead, I had a look around the stride, met some curious sheep that weren't at all worried about the dogs and then turned around and retraced my route back to Youlgreave.

Back on the Diet

I had a weigh in yesterday as I was aware that my weight has been creeping back up - 14 st 12 lbs (94 kg) which is where I was at the beginning of October last year. So I am back on the bars/shakes for a couple of weeks.

Hopton on Sea

My plans to do the Yorkshire Wolds way this week had been threatened by a rail strike and by the weather but just when the unions had been injuncted and the weather had improved, Milo split a toe nail and was unable to walk any distance for a few days, scuppering my plans.

Instead I joined Linda, Alan, Callum, Gillian and Martin for a few days on their caravan trip in Norfolk. I got there on Wednesday and slouched around their caravan that afternoon. No dogs were permitted in their caravan so I pitched my tent at another site a few miles away. It was the first tiime I have camped with the dogs and the first time I have used this tent since the '08 Vegas road trip.

It was cold and rained the first night and Milo was a bit restless having been cooped up in the house for several days, so I didn't get a great nights sleep.

On Thursday I woke up frozen at 6am and headed over to the caravan to warm up. Unfortunately, no dogs are allowed at the planned attraction "Bewilderwood" and so I drove to Caister and walked back along the coast. The weather was perfect, It took me 4 hours, arriving back at the caravan at 1pm I guess that I walked about 10 miles.

I had a much better nights sleep and didn't hear a peep from the dogs. I could have fitted another 10 labradors in the tent as they were scrunched up against me in a dog/human heap all night.

I got Gillian to drop me at Kessingland on her way home yesterday and I walked back along the coast from there stopping at Lowestoft for a fish and chip lunch. It was another beautiful day and I arrived back at the car at 2pm - so another 4 hour walk.

Wolfscote Dale

Did this walk this morning. Wolfscote Dale is the next dale along from Dove Dale. Dove Dale is a lot more spectacular but gets plagued with hordes of ice cream eaters. I had a good upper body workout as well as the walking as I had to hoik the dogs over a fair number of labrador unfriendly stiles.

The walk gave me an appetite so stopped at IKEA and wolfed down a plate of meatballs and got a new uplighter.

Cromford

I drove out to Cromford this morning and did a few miles along the canal.I took a short video of the dogs getting muddy.

02/03/10 - Milo's 8th Birthday

I gave the dogs a birthday breakfast of some battered fish that was lurking at the back of my freezer and then drove out to Carsington Water and did a circuit - 8.5 miles. It was a beautiful spring day with clear blue skies and not many people around to spoil it.

To finish an enjoyable day, I saw my GP and the blood tests investigating the pain I had in my finger/knee joints have come back fine.The pain has gone now - although it was only slight, the concern was that it might be early signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis.