Distance: 12.22km
Accessibility: Flat path, but muddy. Be aware you are far from any main roads in an emergency, with a single route in and out.
Landscape: Trees and hedgerows.
Back to the countryside this week. But not an open space. I desired somewhere with linearity.
Wédehund Comb was perfect. A trail of trees and hedges that snakes between farmland down a muddy footpath. Some of the online reviews use words like ‘boring’ and ‘frustrating’, and emphasis that you are trapped in. A maze without a puzzle. But this is the ideal route for my next walk.
No surprises.
The Butter Mouse sometimes felt like a single route. Please do not think I am ungrateful. This was about money, and I was happy for the income. This was my choice over the factory. But once the income rolls in, the publishers want Butter Mouse pencil cases, Butter Mouse greetings cards. They do not want to promote your novel about a 19th century police force.
And yes, that does exist. Hidden in a drawer.
You can get negative. Bitter. Throw the work across the room, and chuck stories about apples and custard into the bin. But you have to appreciate any gift you can bestow on the word. Be grateful for anyone who enjoys your work.
That is why we had that book tours. The visits to schools, with their eternal plastic chairs and rows of cardboard mice. Radio events where they pretended my creations were real. You have to embrace this stuff.
Which is why Wédehund Comb is underrated. Worth a look. You might think getting stuck on a single path is boring. But you have to enjoy the route you are on.
I looked at the blue sky above. The scarlet butterflies landing on nearby. Enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine, and the noise of the birds. Even buzzing flies added to the harmony.
And I made good pace for a while, the branches started cracking behind me My head turned every time.
It was when I turned a corner, and the whole greenery shook, did I realise that something was
::I want you to know that although we have a professional relationship Barbara, I always considered you a friend.
What happens next, it really did happen. It really did. It's why I am sending you this in one go, rather than chunk by chunk. No, I wasn't ignoring your emails. I needed time to digest. I appreciate we may need to discuss this in some detail.::
