Passing places

I try not to waste too much of the life I'm living thinking how much better it would be if... Well, if anything, really. The serenity, courage, wisdom prayer is a fine motto to live by whether you think a god grants those things or not, so at the moment I'm not dwelling on places I'd like to go up here if my legs or a car could carry me. However, having caught a rare bus up an awe inspiring pass, as we passed the top of it I couldn't help thinking how much I'd love to stop and get out and sniff the air and not be stuck there for an hour or two after. And on the way back the bus driver, having made good time stopped at the top to be back on schedule and was amenable to me disembarking for a few minutes as she was having a smoke! I gave a lot of thanks for that, both audible and inward...

Earlier in the day I'd been a bit frustrated at not being able to book a Mountain Goat tour on line like I did before. It seemed to be tablet related and I thought of trying to call them and wondered if anyone would answer on a Sunday morning or whether there'd be some palaver with exchanged voicemail and lack of signal in the mountains and shouting credit card details down the phone... so, as I was up in good time and would be changing buses near their office I decided to pop by. They were open and a lady was very busily answering several phones dealing with bookings and late passengers and buses and so on and we kept getting interrupted, but in the process of waiting in between I spotted a 10% off if you 'liked' and 'checked in' on their Facebook page so I didn't mind waiting at all! In face I was very grateful, as though their trips are darn fine value per smile, they are pricey enough for that kind of discount to be handy for some other treat.

It isn't the cheapest of areas to stay and my eyebrows have been raised a couple of times already, so I was grateful to find an astonishingly reasonable take away hot drink and snack spot in a real tourist trap. It was far too nice to be indoors anyway and munching a flapjack date slice in the sunshine was perfect. Well, except for my diet - sorry, nutritionist. Tasted as if the dates had been cooked in orange juice and coconut with the oats: so, yes, very sorry indeed... And so grateful!

I give thanks for the beautiful weather and scenery, for going somewhere I'd never been... For a pretty ride on a long lake and for unexpected sights like a woman on a big red glittery motor trike and another on a horse, riding on the pavement to keep out of the traffic and having to duck under the trees. My photos are never going to do it justice but I give thanks for the blue remembered hills on here...