This afternoon after work I said 'screw the weather!' and struck out for a good eight and a quarter miles walk from Buckingham to Stowe and back via Charmandean and Akeley. The clement weather broke at the outskirts of Stowe and I donned my new jacket to find it perfectly waterproof during the windy deluge which followed. I wore it for a few minutes after the rain abated until I climbed a hill and found my arms were sweating heavily in their sleeves, so I took it off and cooled down.

While at Stowe, I was buzzed by two very low Apache helicopters - low enough for me to see the pilot's face - as they hugged the terrain. I whooped and danced afterward; what a noise, what a buzz!

I also got a chance to look around my childhood home at Lamport as it is being refurbished for new occupants since Nat Thornton retired. It hasn't changed a bit since we moved out twenty-five years ago, and it even had an indescribable scent of nostalgia inside and out.

There was plenty of muddy ground and wet grass which gave my boots their best workout yet. Despite the soles at the front of my feet aching somewhat, they stood me in good stead and I'm really enjoying using them.

Finally, I fed my remaining apple to a horse in a field outside Akeley. She acknowledged the feed by dipping her head and tapping her hoof on the grass, which I thought was rather sweet.

All in all, a great walk. I faced the rain and won, I got myself off the bloody sofa and back into the great outdoors and blew out the cobwebs, which I've needed to do for a few days now. I'm proud of myself.