On the loose

  Monmouth and beyond After a reasonable night's sleep, I was awoken at about 4.45am the following morning by a very inconsiderate blackbird. A really vibrant dawn chorus soon developed as I stretched my stiff limbs and began to break camp. Suddenly a dog appeared from a hidden side path and was rapidly followed by a young man who,  considering the climb up from the town below,  looked far too sprightly for that time of day. We were both a little surprised to see each other and after a brief conversation I continued to load the rucksack, eat some porridge and set off  again, following him  along Offa's path . I soon discovered a strange building which was marked on the map as a "Naval Temple". I had ascended 'The Kymin", which at around 800 feet was the highest hill in the immediate vicinity. The early morning views down to Monmouth below and onwards to the Welsh Hills were hazy in the morning mist. And the sound traffic was unmissable as the town below came

The sun has been shining recently, as it should in June but the jet stream is still very confused and a strong northerly breeze means it is  bitterly cold most of the time. As nothing in the garden seems to be growing, I decided it was ideal walking weather and grabbing Sticky McSticky, I jumped into Trusty Rusty, and set off for a few days, planning to join a few more dots along Offa's Dyke. A few day's before had seen one violent thunderstorm, with an inch of rain in one afternoon, but generally the weather has been cold but sunny; my vegetable garden was planted, the trees were bursting forth and the little birds was on the wing. It can't last, I'm sure a plague of frogs is just over the horizon, and speaking of which, the PM chose that moment to announce a General Election. And apparently the finances of the country have now reached such a sorry state, that we could not afford to furnish him with an umbrella! He got soaked in the torrential downpour and Rishi got mo