In Which I am Reminded that I am a Complete Airhead.

I began training for the West Highland Way in January and have been building up my distances over the last few months. Today I decided, after a couple of false starts over the last couple of weeks, to walk from Banchory to Duthie Park along the Deeside Way. I had it in my mind that it was 17 km and would be a good distance to achieve, beating my previous record of just under 15km.
The Wing Commander dropped me at the entrance to the path in Banchory and Rousay and I set off on a warm but slightly misty day. The first part, to Milton of Crathes, is a lovely walk with views over the river. It wasn't busy but we were able to stop and speak to other dog walkers and pass the time of day before continuing on our way. Rousay was excited to have new 'sniffs' and she certainly inhaled them all!
After a brief 'comfort stop' at Milton of Crathes where a nesting robin gave Rousay a piece of its mind (I don't know why, maybe just existing in the same general space as it. Robins are like that) we continued on our way. This is where the path is incomplete and it involves short walks along the side of the busy Aberdeen-Banchory road but we were doing well, Rousay was behaving very well and I was enjoying listening to my special playlist. After walking 10km I decided to stop for a spot of lunch - ham and tomato sandwiches (shared with Rousay).
I was beginning to get a little concerned that I was still not in sight of Aberdeen but I thought I couldn't be too far away and the countryside was lovely despite a falling mistiness. Staring off again after our break I realised we were coming in to Drumoak where we had to leave the path again to walk through the village. At this point I realised I was still nowhere near the city and had seriously underestimated the distance! My expected 17km was looking more like 17 MILES. I am such a dimwit!
Half the difficulty with walking - or any challenge really - is remaining positive and confident. Both quickly left at this stage just as the walking became more difficult. The terrain itself isn't particularly challenging but there is a long stretch of the walk at this stage where the path becomes a road. It is quiet and there is not a lot of traffic but it meant I had to put Rousay on the lead (there were also fields of sheep that I didn't want her getting too interested in). All I could think about was what an idiot I was for underestimating the walk and how sore my feet were becoming. Each step became a chore.
Rousay is good on the lead but is not particularly happy. She prefers to run free and take time to sniff. Mind you she wasn't too bothered about the sheep. She gave them a cursory glance but carried on without too much bother. She doesn't like traffic though and immediately lies down on the verge if a vehicle approaches. I just wanted to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving. Not a good partnership at this point!
When we finally got back on the path I felt so defeated. I was still only approaching the outskirts of the city and I knew I had at least 2-3 hours to go to my stated destination. As if that wasn't enough, my phone was rapidly losing life. I decided to throw the towel in and call home for an emergency 'airlift'. I stumbled on to Culter where I was able to send one last text to my rescuer giving coordinates before the phone, like its owner, gave up the pretence of existing.
I managed 18.6km but this walk really drove home the importance of being prepared and staying positive. Walking is better done with more than one person - one of the drawbacks of training alone. Ultimately, I hope this experience has helped prepare me better for the challenge ahead but right now I need  some sympathy and wine. I need wine most of all. But send sympathy too. And if you specialise in foot rubs and happen to be passing my door, please come in. And please remember to drop some dosh on my fundraising page. It is for a great cause. https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/jennygrieve-laing1

Adventures in the Big City

I took Rousay to Edinburgh this week. It was her first time in a city and she found it all a little overwhelming. There were too many loud noises, people and busses for her liking but there were nice bits too. The dog-friendly cafe was a real treat and the American tourists fell in love with her. All in all, despite the bustle and noise, Rousay coped very well but she is really a country dog at heart and was glad to get back home.
I didn't make a special trip to Edinburgh just so Rousay could experience big city life though. My main reason was to visit the Talbot Rice Gallery. What a treat! And what a little gem of a gallery. The Between Poles and Tides exhibition displayed their new acquisitions while the Torrie Collection displayed the gallery's founding collection of Grand Masters and exquisite small bronzes. However, of all the delights on show it was Michael Barr's Hostipitalidade exhibition that blew my  mind! The gallery pamphlet describes the exhibition as 'an exploration of the interwoven meanings of hospitality and hostility'. Barr's 6 month residency at the gallery from September 2016 also mirrored a similar stay by a captive puma in 1827 consisted of 30 'performative interventions' while wearing a costume which only left the eyes uncovered. The current exhibition consists of the costume worn by Barr - a very strange, alien-like creation that really defies description (the best I can do is to liken it to a hairy ALF from the 80s TV series) - and a video entitled ETHOGRAM which documents his residency with a spoken soundtrack which is informed by the works of Derrida and Levinas - it is Derrida's term for 'hospitality' rendered in Portuguese, that gives the title to the exhibition.
It is an extraordinary exhibition and I am so glad I made the trip to see it. I am only sorry I didn't get the chance to see the actual performances by Barr although the ETHOGRAM is touching, amusing, scary and beautiful in its own right. I only wish I could exhort you all to rush along to see it but sadly the exhibition ends this weekend.
On the way out of Edinburgh I spotted a sign outside a pub which was advertising a live show by George Michael this weekend. I had to look closely before I noticed the little caveat, hand-written in brackets, stating '(tribute act)'. I can't decide if I was relieved or disappointed.

New Boots and Vertigo

My walking boots are very comfy and have taken me to some exceptional places in their life-time. They have helped me trudge the streets of Moscow, up Mont Segur and through the Valley of the Kings. But they are past their prime and probably not up to the challenge of my new adventure which is to walk the West Highland Way so, with sadness, it is time to let them go.
I enlisted the expert knowledge of the staff at Cotswold Outdoor and came away with a very fine pair of boots which I have been breaking in by wearing them around the house. Today I decided that it was time for them to face the great outdoors and so we went on a jaunt around Stonehaven and the surrounding area.
I often take Rousay (the dog) along Stonehaven beach where she plays with her various doggy friends but today I decided to go up to the war memorial and back. Google maps assured me there was a path from the harbour area up Bervie Braes (very steep slopes behind the harbour area) but when I looked at where the path was supposed to be I decided discretion was the better part of valour and opted for a longer, but decidedly safer, walk along the street and then onto the old coast road. It was a very pleasant walk and when we reached the memorial I thought it would be equally pleasant to continue along the coastal path towards Dunnottar Castle a short distance away. The path is very close to the edge of a very steep descent onto the rocks below, so, as Rousay isn't familiar with the consequences of running over steep inclines and as a collie had to be rescued nearby recently for deciding to investigate such consequences, I put her back on her lead while the path hugged the edge of the cliffs.
I don't think I have ever mentioned on this blog that I suffer from vertigo. It hits me sometimes when I am near the edge of high buildings or precipitous places. I say sometimes as it is rather random. On some occasions it can be severe and other times barely noticeable and it is not dependent on the size of the drop. However, I try to not let it control me or my activities and have developed coping mechanisms that work quite well. Well, today my vertigo decided to make an appearance...and dialled it up to 11! And then I realised that there is no coping mechanism to reach for when you have a dog on a lead that is trying to pull you along a path and there is a vertical drop immediately to your left!
Often, when it is as bad as it was today, I will use my hand to shield my eyes on the side nearest the drop - if I can't see it, it can't scare the bejeebus out of me. Today, however, I needed my left hand to hold Rousay's lead as my right hand was desperately trying to hold onto the grass on my right side! I have great faith in the saving strength of grass...well it seems that way when a fall feels immanent!
After a panicked few minutes I reached what I considered to be safer ground but there was no way I could return along that path. An alternative route back into Stonehaven had to be found!
I could have returned along the old coast road from where I rejoined it at the castle car park but decided to walk along to Dunnottar woods, another favourite spot for Rousay to run free. And so my short walk to break in my new boots turned into a nearly ten kilometre trek! The boots worked well and my panic has subsided. Alternative walks will be sought in future although I have to admit it is a very fine walk with some splendid views...if you have a head for heights.