Knobbly Knee Nobbled

There’s been a long space between blogposts and normally, this would be because I’ve been on holiday. I did try to go on holiday – the plan was to visit  a far-flung knipe-ish outpost to help look after some cats and dogs, probably bagging some Pentland Hills and then, as the song says, “rhere are hills beyond Pentland y’lnow…” – go up to Invergarry, camp there for a bit and bag some local Munros, returning later for an overnight somewhere up by Hart Fell near Moffat and then finish the whole thing off with another  Cheviot bag-and-beach night with Dawn.

But my knee got in the way. Avid readers may remember that I banged it on a stone whilst foolishly pot-holing through a cripple or hoggett-hole in the outer-suburbs of Shap. The thing siezed-up almost completely and the doc’s advice was that it was inflamed and to rest it, smear it with ibruprofen, take painkillers and drink unusually large amounts of beer. (OK, not the last bit…) There was something about bags of peas too… but we only had sweetcorn.

I did make a foray on to Hedleyhope Fell, which is a rather beautiful nature reserve near Tow Law and which has some flat and easy paths. This was a mistake and the knee siezed-up once again.

However, me and Mrs Pieman and LTD had a second go at Hedleyhope Fell today and I seem to have got away with it. Two of the Queen’s miles were acheived – so that brings my August total to a magnificent four miles altogether. I’m wondering if I can actually get into the drivers’s seat of the knipemobile yet without screaming and shouting rude words.

LTD is getting a bit depressed about the whole thing and is growing his nails in protest. I’m just fed-up.

But this week, if all goes well, me and LTD are returning to the footpaths and byways and will be attempting to re-establish some kind of decent distance and, maybe, ultimately, bag a Tump.

I would have included a picture of the kneecap in question but there’s nothing much to see and I wouldn;t want readers to get caqrried away by lustful feelings. This is a family blog despite the odd naughty word.

Watch this space.------------>:  Not that space, this one<----------------

Hedleyhope Fell is a cracking Durham Wildlife Trust heathland nature reserve and is well- worth a visit, being handily placed for a rest-stop for anybody heading up the A68 tourist route towards Edinburgh. Info here