Walking home

I walked into work this morning. At rifle pace with the occasional downhill jog it takes just over two hours.

What was I thinking? Now we have to walk home.

I've tried the word "Home" on the dog, and the dreaded "Car" as in "No Car - what are we going to do?" But he just looks at me and wags uncertainly. And now he's just curled up on his bed and groaned.

Can I introduce the dog that hates my car (Despite the fact it shaves 1hr45 mins off the journey time) to get on a bus?

Recon I could get to a suitable stop in 45mins to an hour or so - maybe the crowds will have thinned. It'll still be a bus though. With air brakes. I did get him onto a train twice (there and back). Not sure he was too impressed and he bounced on every seat on the way in before I could stop him. Boing Spring Boing. Forwarned is for armed though.

Can't walk back the way I came - canal,river, golf course, caravan park, scrap metal dealer (in reverse) Just don't fancy it. The alternative vaguely interesting route takes 3.5 hours (or more if the gate that should be locked is). I discovered this when i decided to try it out on the grounds it was quicker (Ha Ha Ha - Right) last time I was stupid enough to walk in. Which just leaves the boring road walk.

Meh.

Why didn't I give this the proper consideration this morning.
"Oh I'll walk the dog into work today! Oh whoopdeedoo aren't I clever"

Bah.

Do you usually take him to work with you?

That kind of sucked.

It would have sucked without my “Footpath” “Shortcut” from hell.

I should have done the Scrap Metal, Caravan park, Golf course canal. Or tried the bus.

I knew it would sort of suck even without the “short cut”. How salubrious could a walk beside the A4 (for longer than imagined) be? It looks a lot better at 60mph. - you kind of miss out on the abscense of footpath on one side of the road (the side on the inside of the bend naturally), the Lorry parks lack full flavour. At 60mph you miss out on the Rottweillers hurling themselves at security fencing as you pass.

Which brings us to the short cut.

I'll start by saying I jumped a footpath too soon. The one I wanted was 10m or so further up the road. Two footpaths next to each other. Who knew? Not slough Council. This woud not have mattered if said footpath had been maintained sometime in the last decade/century. The pile of crap it was necessary to climb over/ duck under / squeeze around just to get onto it should have put me off – but this was “The Short Cut” it lined up with the building and everything, ot got me away from the A4 - it had to be right.

Once past the pile of crap there was a complete absence of path. Ploughed field – Jungle. But there was the fence along the edge like the map said (the wrong fence off the edge of the map but I didn't know that) and I didn't fancy fighting our way back past the pile of crap so the edge of the ploughed field it was.

Half way along the ploughed field was a getway to a quarry and – holy mother of Mary – on the other side a Footpath sign. Mown Grass. A real path! Perfect! Vindicated! Must be right! Etc.

It was after another pleasant 10 minutes in the dark (during which time the dog decided there was something wrong with his foot – couldn't feel anything so I think it had just got wet) following this perfect path that we finally got to the end and found ourselves...

Staring at the M4.

This upset me a little because the whole staring at the M4 implied/Proved – this was not the footpath I had been looking for. I should have moved along. However there was a footpath
sign pointing vagually to the left. This is not what the map says now I've managed to check it. The map says “Bah you've taken the wrong footpath – the one you wanted was about 10m on” it also says the footpath from hell goes straight on. Presumably it did before someone put a motorway in the way but who knew?

Left it was. Left. Selfset Orchard, Brambles, path. Oh sorry did I say path? Scratch the path. Definitely no path. The undergrowth was dense, the branches, bend double under and I was zigzagging like I'd just got away from a “how fast can we spin this roundabout?” session. Then there was the dog. I had to let him off the lead as it was the only way either of us were going anywhere. This horrible footpath has proved the statement

“ That dog will follow you anywhere”

I struggled one way. He struggled another after me and with one final insult to injury bramble barrier crossed (much encouragement to the poor dog), we arrived at an odd gate in yet more security fencing that let out on slightly creepy cul de sac housing. Out the ther side of this and onto the road I'd been aiming at, about 10m further back I could see the out of the footpath we should have taken but at least we were out.

After that it was just the empty factory complex, Horrible housing estate and a 45minute walk to go.
Well I was the one who wanted the excersise and I have seen parts of Bershire I will never see again. And parts of a footpath network I doublt anyone has seen this century..

but to cut a long story short. (too late)

We're back. Got back at about 8:45

Took – oh just over 2 hours at rifle place and joging down hill (and through empty factory complexs)

The dog is asleep.
I'm running a bath.

S

Yep. He keeps the office Lurcher company.

Ah - at least the pair of you should sleep well tonight!

(do you have night vision or something by the way?)

oh my! I know the dog doesn't like the car, but.......I think doggie may just have to put up with it lol. That's a journey and a half. I think I would be tempted to have a very large glass of something alcoholic whilst in that bath!

I was using the force.

Your description of your journey home had me in hysterica although I am sure it was not funny for you - I do hope you do not try to walk to and from work every day!

Think if I was you I would get that dog used to the car , what a walk

That walk sounds bad having to do in the day, but in the dark? I admire you for doing it, because I couldn't have done it. I hope you can sort out your dogs problems with the car.