I am offering the people in my walking group three short walks this August. All close to this town so that we don't have to spend ages on public transport wearing masks.
When I did the walks in June, I had fantastic weather. Then, because of my injuries in July, I couldn't offer them then and this is why they have been scheduled for August.
Last weekend's walk was cancelled: I didn't feel so great and there was no way that I was going to walk 11 km in 36 C heat. I agree with Noel Coward, who wrote in his most famous song, "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun." One would have to be nuts to walk in 36 C heat if it weren't absolutely necessary.
Yesterday, Saturday, I went ahead with the walk as the temperature was 'only' 29 C. Twelve people showed up and we started our walk in sunshine. Everything was lovely. We all got on with each other. There was one newcomer, a woman.
One woman, a pharmacist, said that she had a super-duper app that a friend had recommended. When I said that there might be a thunderstorm that afternoon, there being a 50:50 chance of one, she cheerily stated: "No, there's no chance of that. This app shows you where the thunderstorm is and it's not going to come over us. We'll escape it."
About 10 minutes later, the heavens opened and within minutes we were getting soaked - even with umbrellas and rain capes. More than half of the group took the first road down into the nearest town, which was only about 60 metres away from the big oak we were sheltering under. The rest wanted to carry on, which we did...for all of 400 metres and then we, too, took the first road down into town.
In the end, seven of us ended up in the same ice-cream parlour and spent a very pleasant 100 minutes chatting and drinking coffee and drying off...before we got damp again in the walk to the station.
Honestly...this is often the case with me. When I do the practice walks all by myself, I have wonderful weather: sunshine, blue skies, fluffy, white clouds. When I do the actual walk and people show up for it, it often rains. Sometimes for the entire walk.
Since Germany is going through a drought, I should sacrifice more of my free time and organise more walks for the walking group. We should be back to normal levels of rainwater within a couple of walks, I reckon.
I just wonder what the weather is going to be like next Saturday. I expect hailstones the size of golf balls.
It seems to be the same everywhere. Also here in Finland, the national parks and other recreation areas have been crowded during Cover19-period. And all the rubbish they leave behind, it is incredible. But that is not the worst. People also break places, they hammer the doors and windows of shelters to make open fire - and which open fire they leave burning when walking further(!) In many points where open fire can be made, there is free firewood to use, with saw and an axe. The tools are either broken (how can they do that?) or taken away. The firewood is either stolen (by car!) or spread round the shelter. - SUCH IDIOTS THEY ARE ! They have no respect for other people, for other people's efforts and especially, no respect for Mother Nature. It makes me feel sick (literally) when reading such news in media.
ReplyDeleteI was walking in town last Saturday at noon'ish. I sit in a park and looked around. So much rubbish, empty bottles, ice cream covers, hamburger packages.. you name it. My home town is saving money and one can see it. But people do not care. Everybody is just thinking "me! me! me!" and leaves his/her rubbish behind. Disgusting!
Hello, M.,
ReplyDeleteI think you put the comment under the wrong article.
I was going to ask you how things were in Finland. I feel 'gutted' (extremely sad) that things are no better in a country that is often held up as a role model.
If people are so thoughtless, I think they should be shot on the spot as they are a liability, too dangerous for the rest of society. It's morons like them who start massive fires in the US and Australia that destroy hundreds of people's home. Shoot them on the spot. The older I get, the more I despair of the human race. As a child, I thought people would become more intelligent, smarter as the years went by. Now I realise people are becoming less intelligent and they really shouldn't be allowed to move about freely without supervision.