First Jaunt of the Year!

A few days late - been busy at uni the last week or so. This is my account of a stroll on New Year's Day

New Years’s Day Jaunt

Had my first jaunt of the year today. I wasn’t too optimistic about the weather – several Hogmanay events were cancelled in the region, Whitby has been cut off again, and we had sleet here last night.

I poke my head cautiously out of the window, tortoise-like. No frost. Cold, but milder than yesterday. The sun is shining and the sky is blue. Up high in the sky small feathery clouds scurry. It’s a walking day!

I have breakfast and quickly dress. I have new winter woollies that I bought yesterday in Thornaby – matching striped scarf, hat and gloves. I won’t win any prizes for elegance but I’m soon as snug as a bug in a rug, and as warm as toast. I take my camera, a bag of bird-food and 2 stale loaves of bread, and head off down Church Lane.

On my left I take the path that passes the White House. In the hedge on my left the hedge sparrows are creating a racket. A robin perches in a tree on my right. Turning left past the Sports Field I head for the Acklam Woods. At the corner of the field I check on an old tree that had a mass of fungi growing on it a year or two back. A couple of branches have broken off but I can see spring buds – all is well! These woods contain oaks; they were mentioned in the Domesday Book and give this suburb its name. The oaks already have big fat buds emerging.

I go past the imposing building of the old 17th century manor house, now a college. At the duckpond I call “Dinner! Dinner! Dinner!” and start throwing my bird-food. The pond is slightly frozen. Normally the mallards swarm around me and hoover up the food as fast as I throw it. Today though they slither over the ice and look generally woebegone. I scatter the bread and go.

I head up past the Avenue of Trees, taking the path near the school playing-fields. Underfoot there is a thick, damp, carpet of oak leaves. Occasionally pine-cones and the prickly cases of sweet chestnut poke through. I look high into the canopy of trees above me; quite often there are grey squirrels here but today there are none, only the rooks cawing repetitively. To my left I can see the Cleveland Hills. And yes, they have a covering of snow.

I take the footpath that skirts the playing fields. All the world seems to be out for a walk. A lady pushing a pram passes me. Here’s a man with two dogs, “Morning! Fine day!” I see several other walkers like myself, in twos and threes. Passing the perimeter of the cemetery I see people bringing flowers. Further on I see the Hydroponicum of Nature’s World in the distance, closed today for the public holiday. I look across the golf-course – a father and his young son are playing. Behind them I see a buggy heading for another hole.

Here I start to turn back. Fickle weather! It’s now clouded over, and I start feeling chillier. I take the path back past Devil’s Bridge, and head for the “Endeavour”. At the pub I toast the New Year.

I decide to revisit my old home, in Highbury Avenue, where I was brought up. Forty years have passed since I left. The corner shop is now a private home again. But the street itself is largely unchanged. Of course, there is no-one left who I remember. I populate the deserted street with memories of my old friends. And children – playing with skipping ropes and balls. But today it is too cold to play outside and the street is silent. My old home is in good condition; our pocket-handkerchief lawn has been replaced with a brick-paved patio. Very tidy, but I remember the clarkia and godetia that I grew there.

And now I head determinedly for home. Through the Cutting which I used on my way to school, and past the Acklam Woods again. The circle is complete!!!!!

thanks for that walk northener.

I went with you every step of the way...lovely being out on a cold brisk day.

It's sad about the kids not out playing in the street, I suspect that it's more to do with the fact that they're stuck in front of the t.v. ,computer or some other such electronic gadget, rather than too cold.
I remember playing out in all soorts of weather,never used to feel the cold then!

Keep writing to tell us of your trips, it's a bit like reading a Catherine Cookson novel, you feel you're there too,taking in the scenery.

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes, the children were probably busy playing with their new gadgets.

Thanks you for that wonderful story of your walk. I have copied it to read over and over. I can just picture every step you took and I enjoyed it immensely. Doris

Thank you, Doris. I am intending to go on more walks this year and write them up too. I will have to give myself a day or two to sit down and write them up.


I word-processed that one and saved it. I also added some clipart to one version. Doris, if you enjoy re-reading it, please feel free to email me through this site, and I will email you the version with clipart. The graphics give it another dimension. Hopefully I will add some of my own photographs to my stories eventually, when I have built up a large enough collection.

This message was edited Jan 10, 2004 8:11 AM

Oh yes, I would love a copy with the clipart. I take a Short Story class at the University. We read stories written by both American and British authors and discuss them. (The Uni has classes for retired people).
When I first began to read your story, I thought, Heavens! you must be an author!! Then as I continued, I could see that you more than met the criteria that we were looking in our short stories. In fact, I think you write better than most of these award winning authors!
Thank you for the pleasure you gave in writing this story. It reminded me much of Edwin Way Teale, the naturalist, when he wrote his "Springtime in Britain" book. It is one of my favorite books. Doris

Isn't she just djm, from the first words, you're transported there...see the sights ,sense the atmosphere.
give us more northener..please.

Hello Sue! I fully intend going on further country walks this year, and I do intend writing them up and posting them. You may need to give me a day or two to sit down and write them though - these longer-lenghth ones require more work/time. I couldn't get anywhere decent this weekend unfortunately - I had a head-cold and the weather-forecast was atrocious. In the end I just popped over to the neighbouring town of Stockton for the afternoon and looked round the shops. I'd just finished a couple of assignments and needed to relax. I could have done with a better day though. I simply bought some groceries and a book that I'd had my eye on.

Hello Doris! Please email me with your email addy. I have to send you this file as an attachment and unfortunately I can't send you an attachment through Dave's Garden, I've just realised. I'm really delighted that you enjoyed my writing!

Glad to hear it Northener,will wait with baited breath for the next trip.
I'm sure that I've said to you before you're good with words,it's like when you pick up a book, and from the first words want it to go on.

Thank you Sue! I'd love to do more writing! I'd really like to write an autobiographical kind of work. It's not everyone who beats a life-threatening illness then goes on to go back to uni and create more opportunities for herself.

I'm still in the process of "reclaiming my life" - trying to put all the pieces back together. I feel I could write a good book from it. Something that would be positive and inspirational to other people. And I'd particularly like to describe my journeys into the countryside.

I've had an unnusual and emotional experience, which I'd like to share with others. At the moment I don't have the ending - I'm expecting the ending to be roughly when I graduate. Or perhaps attending the Graduation Ceremony in the autumn. But the bulk of the emphasis would be on my journeys into the countryside.

Two sets of journeys. The physical one of my walks in the Yorkshire countryside. And the metaphysical journey that I'm engaged on.

At the very minimum I can keep on my jaunts and post my accounts on the forums.

sounds a really good idea to me northener,mixing the battlees with the contrasting relaxing walks,go for it.
Keep us posted..so we know when you're about to be published

I've downloaded your story with the graphics. That really
adds a bit of whimsey to it.
I'll be waiting for your next jaunt when you can fit it in yuor schedule. Doris

I put in a typo by mistake. I inserted an extra "s" in the title. Could you correct it if you are able to? It annoys me like mad to find these things a couple of minutes after I've posted them.

Not sure yet when my next jaunt will be. I really need to do some housework - house is very untidy after spending the last few weeks concentrating on assignments. I also want a day or two to go to some of the specialist shops and check out hiking boots etc.

I've started working back on my dissertation again now. I'm busy organising the graphics that I hope to use with it. Have tons of graphics.

I'm hoping to go to Edinburgh sometime this spring - so that's one jaunt I'm seriously planning. And I guess a good sunny day will be very tempting. So, if I want to catch up on my housework I'd better hope for some cloudy, damp weather.

I didn't notice until you mentioned it! I'll see what I can do. I'll be hoping you have cloudy weather so you can get you indoor chores over so you will have lots of time for exploring! (I still have a live tree to take down!)
Doris

Just put it into Word (if you have it) Doris, and delete the surplus "s". You could try wordpad but I don't know whether it will take the graphics.

Well the rain here is pelting down. I'm still coughing my way out of a headcold too. So I'm not going on a jaunt this weekend unless the weather is fine. Maybe someone's trying to tell me that my kitchen needs a good clean.

I don't like housework very much. :(

Good thread Diane
Enjoyed reading it all :)

Thank you Philomel. Tomorrow looks like housework. Still pouring with rain here. I don't generally go on jaunts when it's bucketing down.

despite the forecast rain (it's been lovely here today)I'm off to france tomorrow - intending to drive the 600 miles down to just north of Montauban. Everyone tells me I'm mad, but we'll ahve to see. I can always stop somewhere if I get too tired.

See you when I get back.
I'll be looking forward to hearing more about your jaunts too :)

Lucky you! Maybe you could fit a little person in your boot maybe? You can tell I'm absolutely bursting for a jaunt!!!!

Have a great holiday! I don't think it's mad at all. You're no distance from France and you'll enjoy your break!

Thanks Northerner. I do have some room but not enough time to organise anything now :(

Anyway - have a lovely time jaunting in the N!