"That's it, that's my lust. Wanderlust. That is the thing I cannot let go of ....... yet."
It was cold this morning 4.5 degrees C inside Sadie. The first sharp cold of the year reminding me I was headed in the right direction, South. Both Tanya and I were snuggled down in our warm beds. Me with cup of tea after venturing forth into the nippy coldness to boil up kettle and switch on heating. Now, as I rested warm and snuglyback in my warm bed I dreamily mused on my minds arrival at 'Wanderlust.'
I had spent the previous day with my X family. Indeed I am due to spend another one with them in a couple of weeks. Weddings and funerals eh!
Listening to and being part of, for the day, the busy-ness, the 'doing', the success and the difficulties of younger generations reminded me of how much busy-ness and 'doing' I have let go of as I have been on this journey and as I have gotten older. Not that busy-ness or 'doing' is in any way wrong. Far from it. It is very much one of life's pleasurable norms. I was reminded of that very fact as I called in to see good friends Mike and Marion in their beautiful home near Gloucester. Mike is not too far behind me in maturity and loves his busy-ness and 'doing' to creative perfection. He has no intention whatsoever of letting any of that go. It got me thinking and pondering over what I am not, and have no intention of, letting go. That is when 'Wanderlust' strolled round the bend and exclaimed:
"Hey! Listen up. Y'aint lettin me go. We'se havin a good time me n yuh aint we? I takes yuh good places huh? I lets yuh have bits of the settlin stuff but ah knows when y'feels them itchy feet n wanna bit more venturin so off we'se go wanderin again t'find some more quiet n off the beaten track, n lonesome nooks n crannys. Ah knows y'likes them n we find some crackin ones me n you eh?"
I guess you're right wanderlust. While health and good fortune are intact its you I have no intention of letting go of. Tonight's and last night's wild-camp spots have proved the point too. Last night It was the edge of a small village. Quiet, peaceful and with abundant juicy Blackberries to pick and cook with my big bag of fresh cooking apples. A gift from Mike and Marion.
Tonight though is a 'Wanderlust cracker'. Quorn, Leicestershire, is a mile and a half away from this lonely track winding its way through ancient 'Charnwood' forest around 'Swithland' reservoir where Memories of a forest playground from fifty plus years ago are still vivid. Sadly the group of rocks I used to know as 'Cowboy hill' are no longer in existence. The prehistoric granite playground from the past now a gaping quarried hole in the ancient forest.
The moon is out now, peeping at us through the huge beech tree towering above. The small and friendly crowd by the railway bridge have all left and the gala steam railway weekend has ended. All the lovingly restored 'Thomas the tank engines' are presumably safely tucked up in their sidings.
Seeing and hearing those evocative steam engines chuffing and tooting their way over the reservoir on the old Victorian arched bridges was the icing on this 'wanderlusts' cake. Clearly it illustrated 'why I aint letting go of my wanderlust passion ... yet!'
I think tomorrow heralds some bicycle wanderlust. I wonder if 'Unit Road' is still there?
NB: Awoke to heavy rain & wind. Hmmmph! Ah well. We'll meditate and accept 'Wanderlust's' different offering. Wonder which bend we're going round this time?
