Yesterday I drove over the hill to visit my dad , when I arrived I found him digging his front garden ready for planting up. He is amazing for his age and is a great example of showing that hard work and healthy living reaps its rewards in later years, I was out of breath just watching him so I got kitted up and went for a stroll up the lane. I found it a little hard going up the hill seeing as I've not done much physical exercise recently due to the little abscess removal op almost 3 weeks back. I passed 3 men, builders by the looks sat on the road side having their sandwich lunch outside a house, they watched me huff and puff my way by no doubt wondering what my problem was and what the oxygen back pack was all about. I was puffing to much to chat so I kept my head down and pushed on up the hill.
I eventually got up to my stop point where I stand and soak up the views for a few minutes and catch my breath then headed off back down to dads.
About 1/2 way down a footpath crosses the road and seeing as the weather was quite good and I was feeling that I still had something in the tank I took the left turn out across the fields where there's some great views of the British camp, a part of the Malverns that was once converted into an ancient Briton hill fort.
There were Gold finches, long tailed tits a jenny wren and many other small birds flitting about entertaining me along the way. The wind was blowing quite strong in the tree tops but not so much down at ground level where I was so that was ok. I passed an apple orchard from which the Lady makes, bottles and sells the apple juice, crossed a field and over the stream which eventually passes through dads orchard.
Things were going well and I was really enjoying my stroll out in the country but I thought I must start making my way back home as my usual 3/4 of an hour walk was well expired and dad would be wondering were I had got to.
I headed back towards home only to get to a point where I could see the field I needed to cross was full of cows with their young calves. Now a few years ago when I was fit and healthy this would not have been a problem but the new vulnerable me with oxygen back pack and unable to run felt a little nervous and really didn't want to end my time being trampled by a herd of protective mother cows so I had to head back up the hill and go around them.
It was at this time that my energy levels took a nose dive and I found myself struggling on the hill and uneven surface below foot. This was a stark reminder that I'm not invincible and I have boundaries and limits to what I'm able to do. It was a case of slowing the pace even more than it was already and plodding on, even climbing over the wooden styles became a real effort and needed a rest after each one.
I arrived back home just in time to stop the search party Ha Ha and collapsed in a a comfy chair with a cup of tea and biscuits.
I didn't tell dad how much I had struggled out there in the fields because I thought he would only worry and there was no point in that. Instead I showed him all the pics I had taken along the way and told him how much I had enjoyed my little stroll.
Keep strolling healthunlockeders, it really is good for us but try not to overstretch yourselves like I did ok!!!
Tony 
Here's the few pics I took while I was out strolling in the Herefordshire countryside. Hopefully you'll enjoy your virtual walk out with Dall05.
plus.google.com/10152331535... Dad out digging and pics taken on walk
plus.google.com/10152331535... Dads Orchard
Oh yeh' this lot were outside dads kitchen window so I rolled the video.
