Welcome to 2010?

So far 2010 has been demanding and challenging for everyone I know....but life goes on. It has certainly curtailed my walking schedule. My new pedometer, given to me as a Christmas present, has only had a few outings but, as you can see, I have achieved the necessary 10,000 daily steps on at least one occasion. The hip continues to improve and I am happy to report further progress; I can go up the stairs two at a time (but holding on to the banister), I can walk upstairs carrying something in each hand (and not holding on to the banister!), I can jump off the bottom step of the stairs with a spring in my step (it must be the high impact polyethylene!) and I can run (gently) downstairs. As you can tell most of my exercise recently has been centred on stair workouts, thanks to the snow and ice.


Enough of that I thought to myself this afternoon. After a little persuasion WPH decided I could take a calculated risk and walk in the soft snow along the canal towpath, so that I could test drive a Leki walking stick, on loan from a friend. Not to be outdone WPH took his walking stick too.

The canal community must have been working harder than most of us to keep warm recently . No one was about but the narrow boat chimneys were emitting smoke and fuel was evident on the tow path. There was a gentle hum coming from the generators. Wonderful cooking smells wafted out as we passed by one narrow boat. I wondered about the inevitable washing up and the syphoning of water on board from the frozen stand pipes. A warm cup of tea at teatime with a slice of swiss roll or a bun seemed to be on another owner's mind.

No wonder my friends, the swans, lingered nearby hopeful for a tasty titbit.

This poor snowman sat alone, frozen in time, waiting for the final drip.

and what was the spider hoping to ensnare here?

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan.

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.

Snow had fallen, snow on snow. Snow on snow.

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.