As it was a late decision, I ate at home and only packed a pudding (more on this later). I'd have preferred a night in the woods, but it being the middle of lock down, thought it wiser to kip on private land than in a public forest, and took an easy 10 mile route round to the horse yard hut I've used a couple of times before.
Man it was muddy. So muddy.
Did I mention it was muddy?
Still, it was a great ride in the lowering dark and I got there early enough to scout a big pile of sticks for my wood stove to get a brew on and cook a boil in the bag sticky toffee pudding.
At least that's what it said on the pack. It's a military ration that came in a job lot I bought at a disposal store in Watford. It was awful, but once I learned to muscle my way past the gag reflex, it filled the hole and I settled in for a quiet night.
Quiet night? No chance. I'd just nodded off when something started making a lot of noise. I know what muntjacs, foxes, badgers and wild boar sound like. This sounded like a cross between all of them. Just louder. Scared the life out of me.
Morning dawned still, misty and beautiful. Sadly my phone had died overnight so no photographic evidence of the loveliness of a brisk Chilterns morning at this time of year. I brewed up again, had a bit of soreen for breakfast and headed down to the stables to help muck out before riding home the way I'd come.
I spent the rest of the morning cleaning my kit, but wouldn't have changed it for anything. Just good to be out again.
