Take 5

Observation and Reflection

I run or walk the dogs every day, sometimes I do both. Relatively speaking that is quite a lot of time spent in the great outdoors, yet it would appear that I am not exactly in touch with nature.

Running past a field this morning, a rather loud "baaaaaaaa" jolted my brain into gear (my thought process moving quicker than my feet!) sheep, spring, LAMBS! I like lambs, I'm not sure who doesn't, but I was rather shocked to discover that these baby sheep were well past the frolicking stage! Admittedly Liversedge isn't the sheep capital of world, but there are a few fields with sheep in that I walk past on a fairly regular basis, and yet I've missed the lambing season. I clearly spend too much time staring at the road in front of me, worried about tripping on a curbstone or stepping in dog poo to notice what it going on.

And so the seed of today's blog was sown... a piece on my tunnel vision, blinkered to the wonders of the world happening around me. How did I notice the blossom on the trees but not the arrival of the leaves? How can I walk through the same field almost daily and not notice that the grass has grown until one day, for no apparent reason, it's almost knee high? And how, once in a while, we should take five to look up and really see what we're looking at at...
When it dawns on me that I've missed my turning, and not even looked in the fields I've just passed!

I am no better when I get home. C is making scrambled eggs for brunch and asks me to watch them for a minute whilst he goes to entice H out of his room with the promise of food, by the time he returns they have separated and would be best served with a slotted spoon. I don't think today is the day for my sermon on being observant and fully present in the moment!

So perhaps I'll take five to reflect on this week's progress instead.

I ran 5.1 miles today. Almost a fifth of the required distance. I enjoyed the run and think the pain in my knees has shifted a bit, which I hope is as a result of my exercises and not a figment of my imagination! I am however in need of some local advice. Part of my route this morning involved running on the Greenway (which for non local readers is a tarmacked disused railway line) and my question to local readers is this - is the surface on the Greenway (which may not actually be tarmac) exceptionally unforgiving cause I am increasing less fond of running on it?

The total distance I have covered is now 50.6 miles. I am really chuffed with this!

The total number of page views for my blog will be over 500 if the same number of you read this today as read last Sunday's installment!  The numbers reading varies daily, but I am really pleased that by and large it looks like you're sticking with me THANK YOU!

It would appear that the Universe too is following what's going on, heard my initial thoughts for today's chapter and did it's best to provide what it thought I needed most. Firstly Dougal returned from his walk a true beast of the field and stinkiest dog in the world - nothing like the pungent smell of cow manure to sharpen the senses! And then a text from Vision Express to say my new glasses were ready - at least now when I do look up things will be in focus!

M - 747
Distance covered             5.1 miles
Total Distance covered  50.6 miles