Country Conversation on the Hoof

Country Conversation on the Hoof

Having taken a rare complete rest day yesterday, that we hoped would restore us enough for the ten mile run Steve had planned for us today, we set off at the crack of silly-o’clock once more to drive the few miles to our most regular start spot. 

As you can see on the print out from Steve’s Garmin Forerunner, that stays on his wrist even when he is asleep since it gives all manner of detailed feedback including deep and shallow sleep….. “Oh please”, I hear you say, and I say that myself when these trifles are recited to me. On the other hand, it is a marvellous addition to our run training and also gives mountains of useful information as well as sleep patterns. This shape looks like a little deer' head don't you think. The markers are in miles on on top of the other.

The route for our 10 miler this morning, involved most of our regular 10 km run but we turned back, less than a mile from the 10 km run finish. Then ran back the way we had come. We have marveled at the accuracy and how odd it is, that there are some countryside items that are placed at exact mile marking spots. The turn point was right at a three finger way post, and the 6 mile marker was right on the button at a cattle water trough further up the hill. I know, little things please little minds.

Other information gathered was that the run today was our second longest run during lock down and within that run; we had our best1 mile run and our best 1 km.

Just to complete the picture of how very calming and tranquil our running feels to us, I will relate something that we were chatting about as we ran. There are oodles of sheep farmed in this area and they are moved from pasture to pasture for various reasons. The baby lambs that were springing about all over the place a short while ago are now looking quite stocky, and their mothers are looking scruffy and over heated in the thick woolly coats that most of them are still wearing.

Steve and I heard on the radio the other day that there is concern about the shearing because the foreign workers, from places like New Zealand and Australia, who come to the UK to operate the shearing service, whilst their native lands are in mid winter, which is a short window anyway, are hesitant to come. The reasons being, that they would have to isolate for two weeks at both ends of the trip, when they would not be earning. Plus there are difficulties with social distancing in the pens and they are also involved in dipping and foot trimming as a rule. Wool prices are down to make matters worse.

So there you have it. The wonders of stimulating conversations between a married couple who are also best friends and did, if justification is needed, have a country home on a couple of acres, with a small commercial rabbit farm nearby over forty years ago. There were also chickens, a milk goat and a miniature Shetland pony that Steve drove with a small cart. At that time we also had five cats, a Rough Collie dog and a large vegetable garden.

Last year a brand new farm building was erected on the site of an old wrecked building just a couple of hundred meters from the spot where we leave the car. We thought it typical at the time that the planning notice said that it was replacing an existing farm building. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that the finished item is ten times the size of the little tumble down flint building that I think was known as the Maggot Farm. But only in my opinion, by the by, since the whole of Angmering Park Estate is privately owned and very well managed.

The spoils from movements on the building site involved a deposit of chalk; the whole of the South Downs are largely chalk and flint. The pile of chalk has stood there since building group was finalised. There was a lump on top of it that we have been calling ‘The Snowman’ where we have begun our runs, after a brief warm up walk, and which walkers have been used for graffiti purposes on the large concrete 6’ high front wall that was painted a soft countryside blending-in green.

The reason I mention this today is because the estate has made good use of the left over chalk buy resurfacing the area where runners and dog walkers leave their cars. It had become a bit scruffy there of late but is now sparkling clean and white. 

First photo is one of my daughters fabulous shots, marvellous isn't it? We are all so lucky to live so close to this astonishing scenery.