Still Walking Back to Happiness - But Only Just.

Bless me Father for I have sinned. It's been 2 weeks since my last post.

Sorry......still got some Catholic traits deep within me.

Today the sky is blue, the clouds are fluffy white and the sun is.........well I was told never to look at it, so I've no idea. Probably a nice yellow colour with pointy rays coming off it in all directions.

I only mention this as we here in soggy England haven't seen much in the way of this warming orb in recent weeks and I've been pretty much stuck indoors with little to blog about. I was beginning to think it had moved out of orbit and eastern Europe was pinching our bit of sunshine - as if what they normally get wasn't enough. It's bad enough hearing reports of records temps in Greece or wherever when our webbed footed, welly wearing citizens are paddling canoes down their main streets.

Given the record rainfall that has been dumped on our green and not so pleasant land in recent weeks, I think it's ironic that thousands have to stand in line now to get drinking water. Sadly the stuff that's splashing up to their knees or settling nicely in their living rooms isn't fit to drink.........or even allow to touch your bare flesh come to that. Once you see shots of long wriggling wormlike critters floating by alongside the usual assortment of bike wheels, shopping carts, empty coke bottles and condoms, well you just don't want to dip a toe into it never mind get any inside you.

As usual, one man's misery is another man's opportunity and reports are rife of people being overcharged for bottled water and other necessities. String 'em up, I say. Off with their heads, I say. Let them run the railways, I say !!

Anyway this long period of wet and gloomy weather has made it difficult for me to get out there and do my walking. Yes I've got a treadmill for this very reason but it's just not the same. The big issue I have using the treadmill is that, at the first appearance of an ache or pain, it's way too easy to just climb down and be sitting with my feet up watching tv a few seconds later. When this happens out on the road, I'm usually 2 miles from home and have no choice but to 'break through the wall' and carry on. So I prefer to walk outside.

Oh, while on this subject, I've noticed recently that many visitors to my blog have come to it via a google search for the song 'Walking Back To Happiness'. Now one or two such visits I could understand but I am surprised by the numbers I'm getting. Maybe there is a quiz running where you need to know the lyrics to this song ? Maybe Helen Shapiro is making a comeback ? She was so young when the song was a hit that she's probably only in her 20's now !!

The post where I mentioned the song was created 13 months ago. It seems that if you google the name of the song, my blog comes up 60th out of 46,400 search replies. Not too shabby but not high enough to explain the number of hits I've been getting as I don't think many people look beyond the first page of google replies. However if you put in certain lyrics from the song......like "Funny but it's true what loneliness can do", then yours truely pops up at the top out of 738,000 replies. Wooohoooooo. I'm No.1, I'm No.1. Wonder if I'll go platinum ??

So if ANYONE out there comes to this blog this way, can you please add a comment telling me why you were looking for that particular song or it's lyrics ? Thank you. Oh and feel free to stop and read the other posts !

Speaking of shameless plugs, I think it's time to mention my brother's holiday cottage in Wales again. As regular readers will know, I spent a week there recently and can highly recommend it as a wonderful holiday base from which to explore the stunningly beautiful (and mostly dry) mountains and valleys of North and Mid Wales. Their web site is looking good now and is well worth a visit - if only to see some of my photos which I'm pleased to say were used to show what the cottage and surrounding area looks like. As their site links to this blog, I thought it only brotherly to reciprocate.

Well I need to go out and spend some time basking in the warmth of this rare celestial visitor - maybe even take a walk. As everyone tends to be miserable and sad looking when it's wet and overcast, you can imagine the national gloom that has been hovering over the UK recently. I've certainly felt that way. So to be able to get out for a walk today without a fur lined coat, thermal undies and wellies, I really can say that I'll be literally..........walking back to happiness.

And as a bonus, that reference should keep me on top of the google search results !! Shameless.