Juneathon 2012 Day 2 - Minor Conflict

Juneathon 2012 Day 2 - Minor Conflict
Walk - 7.9 miles, Time - 2hrs 40min, Weather - drizzle damp then grey

We moved to one side to let the cyclists through: a young boy, about 10, closely followed by his father. Ahead was a man with a dog. The dog, as dogs often do, moved unpredictably and the boy applied his breaks so forcibly he shot off the saddle and planted both feet on the ground. "Shit". Behind him the father tried to avoid crashing into the rear wheel, wrenched his handlebars violently and toppled over. "Language!" he chided the boy, as he fell. I was impressed that he tried to maintain standards in such circumstances but then things went downhill as the two men squared up:

"Can't you keep it on a lead?. Keep it under control?!"
"Why is it always the dog? Why blame the dog? You go too fast! You should slow down! Pay attention to other people! Oh no you have to go fast!"
Etc etc.

Meanwhile the boy was being mature, trying to move away and end the slightly uncomfortable incident: "It was an accident. Look sometime things just happen". He was right: it was one of those things. The father was too close to his back wheel but at the same time dogs not on a leash can be a menace on the footpath. Things sometimes happen.

It had all started so differently. Our start wasn't too early, 9 0'clock is hardly the crack of dawn,  but the canal path was empty and somehow it felt as if the world hadn't woken. Perhaps it was the damp, light drizzle that put people off and made everything feel peaceful; perhaps it was the bank holiday weekend and other people had better things to do. Who cares. The conditions were perfect for a walk where attention could flick between interior dialogue and staring intently at the wildlife, whether it be the flash of a kingfisher, swans gliding by, or counting the snails enjoying the damp.  It was a gentle and enjoyable walk.

But a couple of hours later as we came back into to Berkhamsted where there were now knots of people and the problems of conflicting needs in a restricted space.

2011 Streak Day 287 (Monday Oct 17th): The Canal

2011 Streak Day 287 (Monday Oct 17^th): Walk 2 miles time 40min Weather there was a wintery bite to the air

Swans always look as if they own the canal. On the water they are serene on the bank they look fierce. Although I have never heard of a specific case where someone has had their arm broken by a blow from a swans wing, I still remember, as a child,being told it could happen. Such stories stay with you and I give them a wide birth. 

But there is another reason for swans to think canals belong to them: this new logo shows it must be the case.

In April British Waterways will cease to be. The canals will no longer be a government responsibility and will instead be run by a charitable trust: The Canal and River Trust (people have already made a lot of fun of the use of the singular - which canal and which river will they look after).

 I don't know how I feel about the change.

The only thing I care about is that canals are maintained and developed. All across the country they are a fantastic resource for walkers, runners, and cyclists, as well as boat owners. They provide a  ribbon of tranquility and beauty linking towns across the country. Fantastic places that also tell you about the history of the country and the pattern of the industrial revolution. 

You can tell how important they are to me by the number of times I walk or run there. They have to flourish.

If the new Trust can do better than the old Board, then fair enough. But if they struggle for money and maintenance is cut back and fees go up then I will worry. The competition for charity money and volunteers is fierce, especially as more of them are now expected to move into more areas that were once the responsibility of the state. And with most of the population now facing an economic squeeze, who knows how it will work out?

One immediate consequence will be reduced transparency. As a charity there will be less requirement to make information public as the Freedom of information Act will no longer apply. The problem with privatising or hiving off services is that it will be more difficult to find out what is happening and challenge decisions.

2011 Streak Day 185/365: Canals vs Roads

2011 Streak Day 185/365: Walk - 6.38, Time 2hrs 10min, Weather - overcast but warm

Although I have taken a picture of this swan family before they are worth revisiting because they have the same regular route, up and down the canal, as me. They are obviously monitored by other people because we had a conversation with someone who recounted the time he saw them at a lock with two of the little ones trapped upstream. He said they all patiently waited and were later reunited when the boat had gone through.

There is something very calming about watching them glide past. A a contrast to driving on the M25, which I had been doing a couple of hours previously. There is absolutely nothing lovely about four lanes of traffic, stopping, starting, and inching forward

However by the canal, stopping, starting, inching forward as you look at the wildlife or examine the individuality of the boats - well that's a completely different matter.

Juneathon 2011 Day 17: Swans and Geese

2011 Streak Day 168/365:  Run - 6.52 miles, Time 1hr 8seconds, Weather - mostly wet (though it was dry when I ran), always overcast, blowy, and distinctly cool

Today I separated picture-taking and running. I wanted another photo of water on flowers and leaves to show that, yet again, the day was wet. I didn't go far - just into my garden for this delicately damp, pea flower. So on my run I took no camera, and could not record my encounter with swans and signets. 

I had planned to run up an alleyway, off the canal, as part of my loop, but two swans were eating grass on the side furthest from the canal, with their goslings in a line, stretching behind them, blocking the path. As I got near one of the swans stood very tall, opened her beak and rasped a warning. 

I thought it best to adapt my route.

I can remember being told as a child that a swan could break your arm with a blow from its wings and that all swans were owned by the Queen.  This plus my liking for the story of the ugly duckling,  cemented the idea that swans were near mythical birds, even though they were common. Ever since they have never failed to  give me pleasure. I love watching them swim serenely on - but I never cross them.

I know comedians have built routines around the story of swans breaking arms and the failure to find even one recorded example. But as a kid I believed it - these things stay with you. I was happy to give the swans a wide birth.

Later on, I was running back by the Water Gardens - the home of many Canada Geese. I was reaching a road leading to the car park a car was turning in. I did the familiar, sub-conscious, calculation of speed and the time it would take to clear my path and knew I would not have to break step. Except it stopped dead, right in front of me. Damn it was close! Without a very ugly, juddering side-step I would have run into it.

The reason was that three geese were very slowly and sedately crossing the road. Something that quite often happens.

So if you asked me to describe my run I would say it was characterised by swans and geese

2011 Streak Day 140: On tiredness

2011 Streak Day 140/365: Walk - 5.2 miles, Time 1hr 35min, Weather - bright and sunny but with a cool edge to the wind

Yesterday I wrote nothing about my cycle ride because it was uneventful. The one thing I could have said was that it felt harder than was warranted. I don't know whether I was generally tired or it was just my muscles complaining but the result was the same: it felt like a big effort and I did not want to go any further than I did.

This has carried over to today - my legs have felt leaden and there has been no physical zip. My original plan was to go for a run but decided against it and went for a walk instead.

If tiredness is psychological it usually wears off once you are out and you feel much better for some exercise. If it is muscle weariness then a session is hard work and you return even more tired. Before you start you often do not know which is which. This is why the advice of Joe Henderson, to run for a mile to warm-up before deciding how tired you feel and what sort of session you need, is so wise.

OK I skipped the running for a mile bit but the route of my walk was only decided after I found the legs were not as bad as first thought and the canal seemed like a good idea.

I am glad I extended my route because the canal was indeed refreshing. I saw a heron on the opposite bank standing as still as a statue, whilst a canada goose, followed by her chicks swam past. Such things lift my spirits.

The whole point of the 2011 challenge is to be out every day so I can watch the changes of the seasons. That is why I have posted a number of flower or leaf pictures but the cycle of animals is also important.

Today we have signets at a lock gate.

Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen

During today's run I thought about swans. Partly this was the result of the coincidence of two unrelated pieces of reading. The first was Warriorwoman describing being attacked by a swan in her blog, whilst this morning I read 'Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen' by W.B.Yeats, whose third part revolves around the imagery of a swan.

Some moralist or mythological poet
Compares the solitary soul to a swan;
I am satisfied with that,
Satisfied if a troubled mirror show it,
Before that brief gleam of its life be gone,
An image of its state;
The wings half spread for flight,
The breast thrust out in pride
Whether to play, or to ride
Those winds that clamour of approaching night.

I wasn't much concerned with the meaning of the poem, instead I pictured myself running, with my arms half spread for flight and my breast thrust out. Not a lot of pride though; I am not a prideful runner.

From this my thoughts moved to the general imagery of swans and how it was formed by their grace on the water and in flight, and the uniform white of their coat and ignores their rather grumpy, ill-tempered nature. But these thoughts did not last very long , as with all thoughts when running, they wandered off in a series of hazy relationships as if I was playing a game of Chinese whispers with myself. The next strand was about how often I see swans when I am running – not that frequently.. I then started to think of all the birds and ducks I see by or on the canal. My favourite is the heron but they are seen at their best in the early morning when the mist is still rising from the water. I make a note to try to get up earlier to see them more often. Then I start to think about sleep patterns.

So that is how it goes: I run by the water and my mind floats and bobs.

Anyway, as if on cue, some swans appeared and needed to be photographed. I reached into to my belt to get my camera and the swans obviously thought I was going to feed them as they swam towards me and waited expectantly. When they realised there was no food they both disdainfully turned their heads away - as the stanza says, they have their pride.