Garden Micro-adventure

Sunday night, a little fed up and bored and with it being a warm starry night, I thought "Bugger it, stars are out, I'm going to sleep under them!"

Such ideas are best acted upon on impulse, before you have a chance to think about them.

I quickly grabbed and unwrapped my as yet unused sleeping bag and mat, and took them outside onto my little patch of front garden. I had on my fleece and tracksuit bottom, and my little wind up lantern added to the sense of (very low level) adventure.

I pitched up, got in, rested my head upon the old cushion laid out on the ground, looked up at the stars and failed to fall asleep.

I failed to fall asleep for a fair while actually, as although the silver mat kept me well insulated from the ground, it didn't provide much in the way of cushioning  and it wasn't massively comfortable. And then when I did, I was woken up by Falco from next door and his owners looking in and wondering what the hell was going on. They work nights you see, and  although we are up  a secluded drive, we have front gardens rather than rear ones.

They thought I was mad, probably.

Indeed, so mad that Ewalina came out a little later in her dressing gown and explained she couldn't sleep for worrying I had lost my house keys. I explained that I was fine and I wanted to test out my camping gear on a nice dry evening. Surprisingly she agreed with us, saying she loved the outdoors as well.

A  surreal conversation at 4am.

Next up, I was woken at 530 by the dawn chorus and in particular the angry football rattle sound of a couple of squabbling magpies amidst the usual chirps and whistles. The thing that became apparent was how different the air felt on my face, how fresh and calming it was.

I then slept through until 9am, when the other goggle eyed neighbour appeared to hear my daft  explanation. Ah well. Those nearest to me think I'm insane, and I don't care.

It was practice for further adventures.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 04.09.18

Decathlon Goodies Have Arrived

...and not before time. The weather has decided to be cold, and getting colder. And I don't have any thermal baselayers that aren't completely and utterly horrible, and I don't have any wet weather trousers, and I need running leggings for winter no matter how unmasculine they are...and my Tresspass rucksack fell apart after just over a year.

So, not being keen on the quality of Sports Direct stuff, I decided I'd use Decathlon to purchase microbudget kit for microadventures, or indeed start to. I'm not brave enough to get the sleeping bag and large rucksack yet.

So, I've started off with the £2.49 Arpenaz 10 litre one, which seems to be made of rather better material than my Tresspass one and will be handy for my trips of my bike to nature reserves. There's some new running gloves, which will also act as liners for my proper big gloves on super cold days; some manly as anything running tights, and my pride and joy - wet weather trousers to enable me to survive wet rides in without shivering to death all day when I arrive.

This collection of gear set me back £31 plus £4 delivery. Testing out of the baselayer will be in the morning, a the first frosts arrive, and then we will see about doing some cold weather running tomorrow night.

I have not been given this stuff by Decathlon. But I'm hoping that if I mention them a little bit, they might lob me something to review! I'm over the 100,000! I have readers! Come on, let me have a freebie.

I'm shameless I tell you, shameless.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 01.11.16

Evening Trot by the River

Have found myself having "accidental runs" as of late; I go out for a walk, then feel that this just isn't quick enough. Have to stir the blood more; to work up just a little heat; to dissolve the blubber fraction by fraction.

This is a pleasant enough thing to do, just makes me feel like I'm not wasting an evening now I have a little less free time with my new shift pattern. Reading about Microadventures as I have done has kind of reinforced the idea that the 5-9 time is as important as the 9-5 - you've still got 3-4 hours in an evening in which to do stuff.

I don't really like talking about phenomenon like Microadventures, it is very easy to sound pious and like an organic yummy mummy bullshit spouter; a talking artisan spelt loaf of nonsense. But you've read my blog, you know that such a thing would appeal to me.

The idea of buying an inflatable canoe sounded exciting as well, I had visions of paddling one up and down the River Devon until I realised I'd probably be shot to drowning bits with air rifle pellets. But for now, the thought of perhaps heading out for Barnby, spending the evening in the Willow Tree before settling down in a field next to the River Witham.

Yeah right! I think I will do as advised, make my first micro adventure sleeping out in the garden, probably for the Perseid meteor shower. With a little rum in reach of my outdoor bed.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 03.08.16