Below, are photographs taken yesterday afternoon during a walk of just over three miles in and around Macclesfield Forest. For years, I would drive close by when either travelling to work from Knutsford, where I lived for six years, during the very early days of my career with British Rail at Buxton, or, visiting my parents after having since moved closer to what had become my Home Station. It would be very much later in life that I would realise that perhaps just fourteen (if that) miles from where I have lived since 1975, there was countryside which could be mistaken for that of British Columbia. No bears ‘though. Actually, I only saw just one bear in the wild whilst in Canada. And that was from the safety of a train! A bear hunt in Alaskan woodland revealed merely one woodpecker oblivious to the brightly attired party of homo sapiens from our cruise ship, from whom all wildlife had seemingly chosen to bid a hasty retreat! Safety in numbers methinks.
Just after midnight, Friday 3rd July. Wednesday was a fairly routine day. I chose not to spend it on the phone arranging travel insurance for next year. However, I did receive a belated acknowledgement of a claim, and am fairly optimistic…
Friday 3rd. 09.45 hrs. It wasn’t a particularly wet day on Wednesday, nor the day before, and really, I should have seized the opportunity for at least, some short walks in the afternoon. My cleaning company continues to carry out the weekly shopping, offering a prompt, friendly and reliable service, which I appreciate enormously. She told me, that her family were going to avail themselves of a newly re-opened pub/restaurant for Sunday lunch. There are two such establishments which are equal favourites. Roger and I are, too, eating out for the first time since Lock-down on 23rd March. Are these early signs of “normality” a long term reality? Not for Leicester whose lockdown has been extended as a result of a local spike in coronavirus. I just hope Buxton can hang on in there at least until after I have had my haircut, the first since early February! Long hair has never suited me, even in my youth.
It is still only just after 10am. Outside, it feels more like a lousy wet day in February. Just the kind of miserable day to squander on the telephone arranging next year’s travel insurance. If it comes off as planned, my journey, which circumnavigates the world, will be tremendous. I am contemplating the most extensive of rail travel in the U.S.A. and hope to spend decent periods in some of the places visited. Many nights will be spent on trains. We then venture to Alaska, and then onto Japan and South Korea.
21.20hrs.
I chose not to chase after travel insurance today. My company would not let me transfer insurance for my holiday to next year as it was so far in advance. They agreed a refund of a little over £600 towards insurance for next year in the form of a voucher valid for three years. My travels this summer were cancelled for “obvious reasons”.
I did embarrassingly little today. The fish man came this morning and I stocked up with healthy food for a couple of weeks. My day was leisurely as rain, turbo charged from leaden skies crashed down, and cold winds blew. You Tube provided several offerings to keep me entertained, as did day-time T.V. and previous recordings. I enjoyed my day!
As late as ever, a meal of salmon, new potatoes and various vegetables…I had the soup course over two hours ago!
Thanks for reading, David, 21.35 hrs 3/7/20.
David's Cruise 