The Wednesday Walk 5th August 2009

The Plan
Meet at Wendy's for a walk to Okeford Fitzpaine.

The Leader
Wendy

Who Turned Up
Wendy, Jackie, Ros, Tony and Diane R, David.

But lets not forget two people who would have been there but for some medical problems.

Sue has now left hospital after having a new mid-leg hinge inserted. Get some WD40 on it, Sue, and hurry back to the Wednesday walks. We look forward to seeing you back with us. And, anyway, we've all got the old-type hinges in our legs and some of them squeak, so you'll be able to put the rest of us to shame when you've run-in your new equipment.

Brian is awaiting an operation in Bournemouth hospital. We all wish you well, Brian, and hope to see you back on your feet in the months ahead. These days we miss the Brian-type funny stories that used to punctuate our walks.

And we haven't forgotten you, Marian. We know you are looking in on the blog and keeping track of what we have been up to.

The Walk
We had planned on walking to Okeford Fitzpaine but the weather was wet and we figured the ground would be muddy, so we elected, instead, to walk from Potterne Way, between Three-Legged Cross and Verwood. For those of you who don't remember it, the car park is at the rear end of the Moors Valley Country Park. I won't dwell on the fact that it had been raining earlier in the morning and the ground was muddy underfoot on this walk as well, but no one drowned.

We started out walking through Potterne Woods, a new route for us and one that, at times, defied our combined navigational efforts. Shortly after we came out of the woods, Wendy was the first to spot a late-blooming foxglove. The route took us on across some open country and then past a motor sports ground.

After lunch, we took another new route through woodlands and countryside back to the start point. By then the weather was improving rapidly and we felt the effects of the warm temperature and high humidity.

Tea and chocolate cake was enjoyed at Wendy's house. Thanks, Wendy, for an interesting new walk and your usual hospitality.

The Pub

The Old Barn. Some of the group had eaten here before. For others it was a new experience. The service was excellent, even allowing for the fact that we started out as the only people in the building. Everyone was happy with the standard of the meals...even the inveterate pie eater!