We've done quite a bit of wandering about recently... and our wandering has taken many different forms and its almost interesting to consider the different interpretations of meandering, wending, lolloping and plain ambling... my limited but recent experience tells me some people - and I don't want to stereotype - but mainly men - are not good at meandering.. or even wending.. probably not enough shopping experience... they tend to go for lolloping or brisk focused marching.. they haven't got a clue about the tiny but necessary shifts in tempo good meandering takes - the need to "wend" ever so slightly and the ability to stop often to absorb the locality! Alternatively it needs to be understood that constant wending is a different kind of wandering and needn't always include meandering as this will slow the process down. In fact sometimes wending can be quite brisk especially if there is a tea room or a pub waiting at the end or middle of a wending trail. Lolloping is for young people or those who think they are young and brisk lolloping is for those who have skinny dipped (or in underwear) in freezing hillside water who are at risk of hyperthermia once back on dry land. The best kind of wandering is a constant amble, taking time to look at, listen to and enjoy the scenery. Sometimes ambling requires lengthy sit downs to draw or read and often also requires a willing partner or friend to carry the necessary art supplies and reading material as a true ambler affects a certain nonchalance and acts as if they are only there by mistake or by some divine providence...... ramblers by the way are completely different they have INTENT!!!
The second half of the week continued in much the same vein. We had one rainy afternoon which was actually quite nice to be holed up in the house with the rain lashing the windows. It probably wasn't quite so nice for the two visitors that came on their bikes but they're tough cookies - and its only water- but I did feel sorry for them having to cycle six miles back down the track in the wind and rain, but given Scotland, it wasn't as bad as it could be. The big quest for the 2nd half of the week was to find some deer antiers! The chap that owned the house dropped in to visit - he was a very friendly fella and was chatting about how this was the time of year when all the Stags lost their antlers (he collected them and sold them) so after that we were on the serious lookout. It's always been Fred's mission to find some dropped antlers.... The Monro baggers continued with the mission to bag the remaining three Monros... there is discussion as whet...
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