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So I was getting into my car and this bloke says to me: "Can you give me a lift?" I said: "Sure; you look great, the world's your oyster, go for it." Tommy Cooper Success is doing what you plan to do whatever the results. John Watson |
Walking in Petts Wood and The Hawkswood Estate Page 2Thursday 18th September 2003 Expect Magic Every Day This morning's walk was pretty uneventful until I walked through Tong's farm and up the hill towards a large tree which was frequently the residence of parakeets. Suddenly 11 of them flew out of the tree and landed on the telephone wire above me. After a brief while, they took fright and wheeled away into the air above the nearby field. Almost a year later on August 15th 2004 I captured them on camera high up in a large tree near Tong Farm which I call the Parakeet tree. Here's four of them:
The parakeets provided a little piece of magic on this September Thursday morning and reminded me of a saying I read this week that we should always expect some kind of magic every day. If we expect it, maybe it will happen more often. Sunday 21st September 2003 The Invisible Dog Another beautiful day in Petts Wood. About 6 or 7 joggers ran past me and I came across a similar number of dog owners. As a non-dog owner walking in the woods, I am sometimes looked at with suspicion. Why would anyone go walking without a dog? I was once bitten, or rather, nipped in the thigh by a dog that rushed up to me. It then rushed off. The owner explained that her dog only took exception to people who did not have a dog with them! No apology for the dog's action! Once, when asked where my dog was, I remarked that I had an invisible
dog. Good things happen after I have been for a walk which do not happen if I do not walk. Maybe the walk puts me in touch with an invisible power which can be accessed more easily by walking than by sitting on one's backside at home. i usually do most of my praying when I am walking and maybe this too is the cause of more things happening. Tuesday Sept 23rd Walking and talking Autumn is now here and I am walking later in the morning as there is no hot sun to avoid. As a result I am meeting my mid morning friends instead of my early morning friends. Today I spent about two and a half hours in the woods rather than my usual hour and a quarter. Half that time was spent in talking. Wednesday Sept 24th Barking and whining dogs Yesterday, I met a border collie that always barks when she sees me. Her owner insists that I am the only person she barks at. The implication is that she uses her natural intuition to suss out the fact that I am the kind of disreputable person who deserves to be barked at! However, we are good friends so I am confident he does not really mean this. Today, the first dog I met gave me a wide birth and whined in a high pitched way as he passed. The next dog started barking as soon as he saw me and then changed his tune to an ingratiating whine as he came closer. Most of us are brave when far away and out of the hearing of some one we criticise. As they come closer we change our tune. A friend sent me this great advice yesterday: "Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile away and have their shoes!" Thursday Sept 25th Falling branch in Eden This week, as I mentioned on Tuesday, Autumn has arrived in England after a long, hot and humid summer. Some sweet chestnuts had fallen from the trees in the woods this morning. Some are quite heavy and spikey and fall from tall trees with a thud. I haven't seen anyone wearing crash helmets yet but it would not be a bad idea to do so! Several have landed very close to me in a matter of seconds. Occasionally quite heavy branches fall from the taller trees which could do serious damage. There is very little sound until the branch hits the ground.
A few months ago I was at the Marlings Park Avenue entrance to the wood when I saw a lady holding out her hands in front of her. At first I thought she was offering red petals to her granddaughter. As I got closer I realised that her hands were full of blood. A branch had hit her a glancing blow on her head and gashed the skin quite badly. The photograph shows the approximate area where this occurred. The lady ignored all possible offers of help and rushed off down the Avenue to her home clutching her granddaughter's hand. Even in Eden there is potential danger. Thank God the branch had not fallen on the little girl's head. Home
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