13/12/13 - One in Four

Distance - 4.5 Miles
Geocaches - 1
Walk Inspiration - Millennium Way Stage 7


Oh the irony.  I start the day reading about how one in four dogs are now clinically depressed.  This is caused by owners leaving them in the house all day and not walking them off the lead, giving the stimulus of new places to explore.

I then spend 10 minutes rounding up our lazy geohound.  She does her usual of waiting for me to get my boots and running off and hiding upstairs.  No doubt about it, she wants to be in the 25%.

After a good week of walking, I am looking for something not too long and local.  The monthly leg on the Millennium Way comes to the rescue.

Park up opposite the Boot pub.  According to their adverts, they are Worcestershire's number 1 pub.  The steaks looks good.

Head north on the Wychavon way, skirting the edge of Grafton Woods.

We have corporate sponsorship

Sun.  Peeping.

Afraid the walking is not great on this leg.  Maybe the dog had a premonition.  We have electric fences.  We have horrendous ladder stiles.  We have stiles that are so overgrown with brambles that I need secateurs to progress.

Then horror of horrors, I put my hand on my coat pocket and have that sinking feeling that something is missing.  My sat nav is not where it should be.

This means we have to go back over the electric fence.  Back over the stiles of brambles.  Fortunately, I find it on the floor before the ladder stile.  That's a relief.

Back over the obstacle course to Dormston.  Interesting moated farmhouse.

Yours for £1.2 Million

We are on the public footpath and more walking woe.  Molly gets attacked by two Alsatians that are running loose.  I am unsure how far I should go in protecting her, as I am fearful they will start on me.  They are cowards - my hollering and attempting to kick them makes them run, but they circle around for continued attacks. 

Most unpleasant.  I am adding pepper spray and a bat to my ever expanding geocaching kit.

We escape this and I apologise to a caravaner for my very loud profanity.

I avoid the next field of horses.  I cannot take the risk of any more grief.

The road brings us to Kington, a pretty hamlet with an unusual church.

Survivor of the Battle of Dormston

A very quick diversion to get my only cache of the day.  Its on the sat nav as a micro but it's more than that and brings a smile to my face.

Back across a couple of fields and the usual post walk ritual.

Post Traumatic Stress Relief

So, that's the sixth consecutive walk.  Am I going to let one bad experience put me off?

Yes, I am.  I'm having the weekend off.

I'm sure Molly smiled when I told her.