may...

Another local trip to the woods...only a short one. The dog told me that she fancied a night out. Cycled up to the South downs way round kingly vale then dropped back down towards emsworth. Camped in a small Woodland on the outskirts of the village called Holly bank woods. Beautiful night! Moon through the trees and several visits by interested deer. Pretty chilly and for sure I need to make an underbkanket for that hammock but a nice diversion all the same. Nice to get the old trangia out and eat some terrible camp food!

D2F0E818-F269-435E-8373-586F46D3C1DB by Chris Harris, on Flickr

Under Emergency BaM legislation, we killed 2 birds with one stone.

Got a road ride in during the day picking up stray tiles in SW Glasgow. Fraser had got a ride in with Mum earlier in the day. My other son Lewis had his virtual cub camp. The challenge was for him to camp in the back garden. The 3 of us jumped in to the tent to accomplish our respective challenges.

That's 2/5 and 11/17 for Fraser and I.

I might have to suspend my 2020 BAM campaign 'coz I've just had a heart attack. THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. Im going to write to my MP. Hmpff!

To be fair, it's not the clutching at your chest, gasping for air, going blue kind of heart attack. Just a fever, a nagging flu-like ache across the shoulders and feeling rough. I thought it must be the Corona, and phoned 111. They sent a paramedic who did an ECG and sent it off to the cardio unit. Next came a 40 mile blue-light ambulance ride to hospital, Straight out of the ambulance and on to the operating table where they broke up a blood clot and fitted two stents.

Now it seems I have to stay away from the bike for a month, then only easy stuff for another month.

How (not) good is that? The worst of it is that I'll be getting resistance from the wife every time I want to go out..

Sorry to hear that Lu. However, every cloud an' all that because it might have been much worse. It could also be a good excuse to look at ebikes maybe?

Thanks Stu. It may not be too bad - look at Pickers - he's riding again. I might just have t be a bit more selective about which way round I tackle the hills.

Yikes!

Good that you're still typing, and staying away from bikes for a couple of months sounds like it could have been worse...?

Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery!

Holy sub standard, that's scary. Hope you recover quickly.

(were you tested for CV19? - blood clotting is a known symptom)

Wow, commiserations Lu. Sounds like you were sorted out in double-quick time though thank goodness. Looking forward to a "gentle" ride with you when we get the green light.

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 10:36 pm (were you tested for CV19? - blood clotting is a known symptom)

I've had CV-19 test. Negative so that's OK. I should be let out tomorrow.

Blimey! Best of luck with the recovery

Jeepers Lu - Take it steady and look after yourself - Slowly, slowly etc.

May...
I've been very disciplined up until now, but with all that gorgeous weather and some signs of lockdown slowly easing, I could resist no longer...
Just 7 miles from home, lovely little ride with a nice bit of climbing, one of my favourite straights across the common, and the night spent in a field that is actually ours. Makes no difference as far as lock down rules are concerned, but it somehow feels better. Also good to know that the neighbouring farmer is friendly. After setting up, well putting down, the bivvy and stuff, another short steep climb up to the top of the hill, for a cuppa with a stunning view before bedtime.
I'd missed the very best of the weather the night before, but my what a difference to be sleeping in warmer temperatures. I knew it was going to rain, but I'd always wanted to try out the bivvy bag/rain/no tarp combo. It was alright actually. But then it wasn't a torrential freezing downpour, and knowing it would be just a short downhill hop back home for breakfast helped....

@Froggat Speedy recovery. Months of blood-thinners ahead? I had a clot in 2014. 6 weeks off the bike (longest everrrrr) but eventually, I sat in a chair with a heart rate monitor on and very carefully lifted light weights a few times a week.

When I got back to riding I felt better than ever. A certain joie de vivre comes with finding out life is fragile. Doctors orders of course but I'm saying it does get better and medicine is brilliant. As an engineer, completely beyond me but fascinating. Watching 3D run-thru images of my lungs? yes please.

I got out for my May bivi with Mr Landslide on a wonderful Thursday evening before the bank holiday hordes arrived.

L showed up at my house after dinner then we socially distanced out to the moors before delving back into the Rivelin Valley to a newly hewn outlook in the trees.


I gave L the viewpoint as he is more capable of getting up in the morning so we took shifts to brew up and Landslide headed home to work.

I camped amongst the trees and wrestled mice all night - they stole my sweeties and ruined my camelbak bite valve so I'm a little bitter.



Still, did a spot of "leave it better than you found it", removing a "Monster" can, giant Dorritoes packet (which I used to conceal the Monster can so no-one would think it mine) and a large wooly black sock (I think it was poly-blend so wouldn't have been good for the mice).

Rubbish deposited in the carpark bin before hitting Stanage pole, Houndkirk and Lodge Moor on the way home for lunch.

Wot she said ^^^, apart from the mouse.

Highlights were the deer wandering past, owls squawking, the De Molen Rasputin (Bowmore cask finish), and the absolute mental joy of being out in the greenery.

Pics:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAfuvqQFlyU/

2020 BAM 5/5
2020 total bivvies 5
Current streak (months) 18

Wee buggers so they are. At Corrour Old lodge (of all places) a meece gnawed my ESI grips and the draw cord on a Revelate feedbag.....

May BAM last night..... could have been warmer !

I have a very big back garden... house is top right

Untitled by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

ps - Good luck and all the best Lu... improve soon and on the bike again...

And here's a view the other way, looking at my bivvy spot from my house...
Untitled by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

Garden is self maintaing too ! What a bonus

Landslide wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 11:01 am Bowmore cask finish

Cracking Bivvy

TrepidExplorer wrote: . . . I camped amongst the trees and wrestled mice all night . . .

Mice are a nuisance, rats are something else. Inner tent, food and clothes!!

Thanks for all the good wishes.

TrepidExplorer wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 10:53 am A certain joie de vivre comes with finding out life is fragile.

I found it a bit sobering to think that I could have karked it and left my wife with the job of getting rid of 3 sheds and a cowshed full of my stuff to get rid of. My trouble is, I'm a hoarder. All the stuff from all my previous hobbies/pastimes are still here. I've never managed to sell anything.

I'm going to have to gird my loins and start getting rid of ..... everything

ericrobo wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 10:50 am May BAM last night..... could have been warmer !

Glad to see you're still with us Eric. I did wonder, with not having seen you post for a while.

The best thing anyone said to me when I was ill was,

You don't have one life you have two - the one before and the one that comes after you realise that there's only one.

Back yard bivvy 2.

No ride before as was stuck in work and wanted to spend time with the mrs.

No real sleep until about 4 am. 5am rise and 6am 50 mile single speed ride.

Back to base, under tarp away from sun. Now beer time.

I can't wait to play out.

Hilltop picnic stop in progress. Glad I brought something to lie on.


IMG_20200530_214247_HDR by Colin Cadden - Flickr2BBcode

Nice colours there. Erm, this lie down - would it happen to be one of those sort where you nod off just for forty winks and the next thing you know it's the next morning? .

* yawns *

Now you come to mention it, I do feel a bit sleepy.