Tuesday 24th November 2020 Day 245
6.30 The house phone rings which makes me jump into consciousness, my negative side thinking this must be bad news as it is so early. Turns out to be a nuisance phone call telling me someone has just taken £600 out of my account (a call I have had so many times I don’t even check now) and what makes it even more annoying is that I didn’t get to sleep until after three. 7.30 I get up, weather looking quite reasonable and maybe a little brighter than it has been and go downstairs to give Audrey her breakfast, a new type of complete meal biscuits and as yesterday, she takes one glance at them and turns away disgusted that I should expect her to eat them which is very odd because when we are out, she is not nearly so selective about what she eats. I will spare you the types of things in case you are eating your dinner but suffice it to say, most of it has already been digested and discarded,
especially by deer.
9.30 Our group meet on what’s app. Three of us have maintained our weight and one of us hasn’t, so good result altogether but as it said pretty consistently on my school reports ‘Could do Better’
11.30 I meet Wendy on Ashdown Forest in Ellison’s Pond Car park, the car parks are always pretty full these days but the people seem to disperse quite quickly into so many acres of forest.
As we get to the ponds, our path is stopped by a herd of young cattle and I have to admit I am a little nervous of walking through the middle of them with a dog on the lead. Audrey takes no interest in them whatsoever so that at least helps. We hope if we stand there long enough, they might move and eventually they do, very slowly part company to either side, leaving us a narrow pathway between them and my fears are unfounded because apart from a bit of staring at us with their huge liquid brown eyes, they have no interest in us either.
There are quite a few horses being ridden on the Forest today and I hear that there are now wild ponies as well, although I don’t know what type, possibly New Forest. I think it is great that there are now sheep cattle and horses grazing here. It would be nice to think that it would live up to its name and produce a few more trees than just the occasional clumps which are all that are left after – and don’t quote me – but I think Henry VIII stripped a lot of the old forest to build boats. Maybe one of them was the Marie Rose.
It’s the final of Bake Off tonight. May the best cook win!!