Mostly for the many runners in Charlbury

Tue 16 May 2006, 10:27

i have acquired a new dog, my wife's really. We went to the Blue cross looking for some kittens, and came out with a dog - Ole Red, the Mississipi Mudhound, or Ben to those who don't share my fascination with the Charlbury Bayou, aka the Evenlode floodplain.
On sunday he was the maddest dog around, all nervous energy, but I think he really wanted to bond. I took him for a four mile jog, I wasn't sure I could go out, him keping me awake half the night, but i found some reservoirs, and he hared round at top speed. By today, Tuesday, he actually went at my pace, which is a good deal more sedate. Yesterday the 2.5 mile loop was a veritable Tempo Run, which is something I haven't done since I worked in Kingston and had to get back in a lunch hour.
That I did it 3 minutes slower today is a testament to him calming down. he needs to get used to being left now, and I am not sure how he will cope with that. He is a smart beastie, but if you pass the house and he is barking like mad, well I will be back soon.
The trouble with going out at 6 am is that most of the wildlife activity is over by then at this time of year, but I have some earlier starts Wednesday and Thursday, so I would really like to see the Barn Owl again.
I know there are some lurkers out there, reading these posts - to all of you Happy Days.

ORN 2.5 miles today, round and about. I know we are in a drought situation, but why are my feet so endlessly wet?

Thu 11 May 2006, 11:28

Again I have not posted for a while. I am trying to get myself back into my habit, but find that ever shorter distances seem to be my forte - perhaps they always were.
I snatched a run early yesterday morning though, up Ditchley Road, and down via the quarry at 10 to 6.
As I came up past Broadstones a beautiful grey Barn Owl flew not 3 metres away at head height. I seem to remember having seen this one before, but is only a crpto memory, a sense impression, (so perhaps I didn't!) They are actually larger than you think, in terms of wingspan, but weigh less than a puff of feather - in fact that is mainly what they are composed of. Olivia and I saw one outside the Central Library in Oxford, and were amazed by this fact, we were.
Further up the road a muntie stepped gingerly into the road, then did a double take as it saw me running up, light as my own feather. I t hid among the herbiage.
And, as if all that was not enough, because of the way the grey clouds were, a fantastically huge red sun appeared and reappeared, a huge Red Giant of the beast that it will one day be. Impressive. Just like I imagine it to be on the NewYear's day when Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
Ah well, as no one reads this I can be as prolix as I like.

ORN 2.5 miles as described. I have to get into practice in case we get that darned dog.......

Thu 13 Apr 2006, 14:07

I haven't visited this spot in quite a wee while, and I am happy to note that it is still mine and Igor's love in - given that he/you was/were listening to The Grateful Dead the other day, and comes from Sausalito I don't suppose that is not too apposite. Though Saus is a bit far south of San Fran, so perhaps he/you (as you are the only one reading this!) didn't really swing after all......

ORN I haven't been out in over 2 weeks - a holiday to Ardnamurchan, and a ping ponging family of viruses has laid me pretty low, not to mention the others in the house. I am glad to get out today, just so that they don't keep coughing over me. Then I met a student with tonsilitis, who proceeded to cough all over me....
Ah well, I may actually try again tomorrow. Good Friday is very symbolic, a death followed by a resurrection.
I go.

Thu 23 Mar 2006, 14:25

What's the matter Neil, not enough papers mark?

Seriously, you've got a very good point about checking people who live alone, elderly or not. I know that most people don't want to seem intrusive or nosey, but in matters of life and death, politeness can go out the window.

Suffice it to say that it appears to be David's doctor, Dr. Bayliss who raised the alarm after he didn't respond to her visit to his door.

So he wasn't completely isolated and there was a safety net in place.

In some places people areleft undiscovered for weeks,sometimes months.

Thu 23 Mar 2006, 12:32

The phantom poster posts again. My own forum within the forum - ah weel, if no one is there to read then I can say what I like.
It is sad that David Halliwell passed away, on his own like that. I didn't know him all that well, only via…

Long post - click to read full text

Tue 14 Mar 2006, 11:55

It is not what you are running from, it is what you are running TO. We search for moments of 'flow' in the daily grind, and running, even very slowly leads us there.
Or it can if you don't feel too awful to do any more than grind it out. But even that is a kind of victory.

Musically I tried out the 'new' Bruce Springsteen album, the 1975 Hammy Odeon concert which undermined his cause here among music journalists (not in my eyes though).
He debuts some 'new' "Born To Run" songs (it wasn't yet officially released), so draws heavily on the first two albums.
Frankly it is a revelation. The sound is superb, and the band is very, very musical, the best band he ever had I think, because he developed, outside his acoustic projects, into a very one paced rock musician - the 2000 Live album is just like listening to sludge.
The way he arranges 'Sandy' is just great, he had clearly been listening to Van Morrison's live album from the year before, and it sounds just like the Caledonia Soul Orchestra (with less instrumentation. And he can actually sing.
So get it on yer Walkman, and let 'Kitty's Back' and 'Rosalita, Come Out Tonight" just carry you around.
Oh well, I might as well keep posting, maybe I will achieve a critical guff mass, and somebody will be obliged to find out why, it is the same guy, doing all that posting!

ORN: 4 mile loop from the house, out via the Centenary Wood, where I wasn't attacked by a pack of dogs, round the Big Field, past Ditchley Gate, up Whispering trees Hill, and down, on down.

Fri 10 Mar 2006, 10:15

What I want to know is what all you runners are running from?

Tue 7 Mar 2006, 16:26

One of the things that I have noticed as I plod my own weary way around my running loop in the Village is the amount of people that I just don't know.
I wonder if there is any interest in starting a thread on this Forum for people to post, about their running, and their running related thoughts and activities?
You must post an ORN though (Obligatory Running Note.
Alternatively, or at the same time, and for reasons that I may divulge if there is any interest, I wonder if you could post up to 5 songs/pieces of music that you take on your run, play before you run, or listen to after your run. a brief comment on these would also be great.
If anybody responds in the right spirit then I will tell you why!
Just call me The Scarlet Pimpernel!

Thanks for taking the time to read this anyway,
Neil.