And They're Back - Some Brief Random Thoughts

Top Level Summary of the Weekend – The destination for this long-weekend was Keswick. Three full days spent camping and walking (campsite camping; there was a reason for that). The details in brief: two new pairs of boots (one each); a walk up Haystacks/Brandreth/Grey Knotts; a walk up Blencathra; a walk around Borrowdale; good weather. A top time was had. It felt like a proper holiday even though it was only a few days long.

More detail to follow.

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TGO Magazine – The latest issue arrived last Thursday, just in time to take with us. A few very good articles in there this month, I thought. I was almost getting disheartened after the apparent lack of content over the last couple of months. Faith has been restored.
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Google Analytics – [for the benefit of people who aren’t familiar with Google Analytics: This is the clever thing that tells me how many people have looked at this blog (except that it misses a few visits out for no apparent reason), where they are from (or some made up place that is nowhere near where they’re from – it doesn’t seem to be very accurate on that score), and how they got here. In the ‘how they got here’ category, I can also see the details of the searches on Google that have led people here.]

Every now and then a Google Search shows up that has my mind boggling as to what I’ve said that could possible have caused a match.

This weekend it seems that someone found me by Googling ‘Shooting in Whittle in September 2007’. Hmmm, not a subject that I recall talking about at any length…

Obviously, I had to Google it myself just out of curiosity. I came up as the forth match – thanks to having ‘whittled down’ my list of possible LEJOG routes and having posted in September 2007. I think that I may also have mentioned the shooting activity adjacent to Cannock Chase.
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Osprey Talon 22 - We already own 4 Osprey rucksacks between us. I’ve got the Aura 35 and the Aura 50; Husband has the Atmos 25 and the Atmos 50.

Being inconvenienced once again this weekend by my little daysack (CamelBak Daystar – a lovely little sack in the right application) not having anywhere to stow my walking poles and loitering in George Fisher after the boot purchasing activity, I was sorely tempted by the Talon 22.

Fortunately sense prevailed over desire on this occasion and I settled for trying a couple on, just to see which size I would need and drooling a little bit.

Impressive restraint I thought.
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V&J’s First Walking Extravaganza - After enthusing about the joys of walking and backpacking to V&J a few weeks ago (see the last three paragraphs here), they have spent the last few weeks amassing gear (and some mighty fine choices have been made, including the heretofore mentioned Talon 22). This week they’ve journeyed off in the direction of the Shropshire hills with that gear to test it out on some day-walks.

I await positive (I hope!) reports back.
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Dehydrated Fruit - Pear and banana work very well. This week I tried dehydrating some nectarine (usual scenario of having surplus fruit that was threatening to go off). I’m entirely unconvinced as to the result. It turned out to be rather hard and chewy and tart. I’ll give it another go before I put it into the category of veggie biriyani (sp?) (a previous experiment that we ate out of necessity, but it was the worst dehydrated meal I’ve made so far).

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Wiggle Copying Backpackinglight? - I got home today to find that a parcel had arrived from Wiggle. It was my third delivery from them in the last month (I'm not being that extravagant - I returned one item for being the wrong size; this was the replacement). The difference between all previous parcels and this one was that this one included a little packet of gumi-bears. Surely they're just copying Bob & Rose, who have been sending out little packs of sweets for ages?