The Road goes ever on and on; Down from the door where it began;
Now far ahead the Road has gone; And I must follow, if I can;
Pursuing it with eager feet; Until it joins some larger way;
Where many paths and errands met; And whither then? I cannot say.

[JRR Tolkien, Lord of the Rings]

Thursday, 8 July 2010

Rain

I thought that I had jinxed summer this week, by taking delivery of a pair of shorts that not only fit me but seem to be made out of a decent fabric (the pair that I knocked together a couple of weeks ago had the flaw of becoming more uncomfortable the stickier I got).

Buying summer clothes has always put an immediate stop to good weather before, and sure enough, within 24 hours after taking delivery the forecast was for a considerable lump of rain to pass over the area.

About three drops fell.

The cracks in the ground on one of my routes are now so big that I fear that I may disappear down one of them:

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And yet, despite ground so dry that it seems that there is not an ounce of water left in it, the nettles still continue to thrive. I had to make my way through these, measuring up to six feet high (with great care, I even avoided being stung):

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Today I made even greater efforts to provoke rain. Before I walked into town, I took my jacket out of my bag. And, it did rain, but it was so warm and the rain so light, that the ground didn’t even get vaguely damp.

So, one final attempt to cause an end to the dry spell has been made. I’ve plotted a route. I’ve worked out logistics. Next week I’m off on another little solo jaunt. After what feels like months of gorgeous weather, it’s bound to rain, isn’t it?

1 comment:

  1. Discovered you through The Outdoors Station podcast. What a fascinating route. I like the diversity of the landscape that you are walking through. I was keen to hear (on the podcast)about your experiences using the Bush Buddy stove as I have one. Good luck with the rest of the walk.

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