Day 366 - Failure IS an option and I chose it

I surrender.
Yep, I failed. Failed to finish 2016's picture a day for a year challenge.
You might have noticed the steep drop off of posts about halfway through the year? Weeel, i just kinda gave up, sorry.
But, I did managed to realise that as it was a self imposed challenge, i could also UN-self impose it and not finish it if I didnt want to.
I think I found it difficult to come up with something every day and perhaps was thinking too hard and that the picture needed to be very significant or meaningful or artistic?
Anyhoo,  I have decided to have another go in 2017, call it an exercise in self commitment if you like, or something, just to see if i can see it through this time.

Heres the new blog for 2017. deniseday365NewHope.blogspot.com

Managed one day already - woohoo!
But, one day at a time is how you manage everything isnt it?

Day 195 - Who knew such a thing existed?

 

 

Spotted this in Tescos this evening. Pretty speechless actually. Pizza AND dessert? Together?
Not sure if im repulsed or really really hungry!

Day 194 - 'Wine' not?

nice crate of wine from Naked Wines arrived today. bargain at £39.99 for 12 bottles (bought with a voucher) so thats only £3.33 ish a bottle.
There seems to be one missing, oops....

Day 191 - Sprint Finish!

Tough sprint finish at the Lytchett relays today running 5k for the Nifty Nanas!

Day 190 - home at last

Ethan & Hazel came home from hospital today. They were in so long as he had anti-biotics for an infection and had to finish the course. I am so glad they are home now

Day 186 - Proud Grandad

 

 

Kevins first cuddle with his new Grandson. Awesome!

Day 183 - A new life...

Welcome to the world, Ethan Alexander McCabe, born at 11:19 this morning and the most Awesomest thing that has happened this year.
I am so happy to be your Grandma and look forward to many years of fun. :-)

Day 177 - Giants Head marathon

Good day at the Giants Head Marathon today with this plethora of 'willy' related items at the finish and a pleasing finish time of 6:20 and change. Nice 40 min improvement from 2 years ago!

Day 176 - melons

Not sure I want to see any more of these after helping chop up loads for tomorrows marathon. I hope theres some left for me after all that work!

Day 175 - web design

spotted this on my wing mirror this morning. didnt have the heart to remove it so left it there all day!

Day 174 - Happy Birthday Max!

Happy 9th Birthday to Max. A better friend you could not find.

Day 173 - Horses wearing hats

These nice ladies let me take a picture of their lovely horses wearing what I think are nifty fly guards for the ears. The strawberry roan one at the front was quite happy to get a cuddle but the one at the back just looked bored! The ladies told me the horses names but i'm sorry to say I cant remember... oops.

Day 172 - Summer Solstice

Today is the summer solstice, which means that here in the northern hemisphere we are at maximum tilt towards the Sun. Also for the first time since 1967 the summers solstice coincides with a rare ‘strawberry’ full moon
Despite the name, the moon will not appear pink or red, although it may glow a warm amber. The romantic label was coined by the Algonquin tribes of North America who believed June’s full moon signalled the beginning of the strawberry picking season.

Day 171 - This is how wet it was today

Even the frogs came out to play tonight....he was just outside our back door and looking quite happy with himself

Day 170 - An unusual crest

Took father out today for a slightly early fathers day lunch (he is working tomorrow!) and spotted this crest on a building in Poole. not sure what its about but it is certainly impressive.

Day 169 - fuel trials

Bought some Ella's kitchen baby food to try out as race fuel on the Giants Head next week. have heard good reports from a couple of other runners so will see how it goes. trouble is I cant have anything with apple juice in, so the choices are limited!

Day 168 - Injury stopped play

Even the best trail runners get injured sometimes. Poor Max had run after something on the heath into the bushes and undergrowth, there was a yelp, and he came back with this cut. Doesnt look very big but its quite deep. Cue a trip to the emergency vet, 4 staples and a lot of stress later and we have a lighter bank account too. Not looking forward to taking him to have them out :-(

Day 165 - a temporary move

Back to work today. Luckily I'd been warned by my colleague that we had moved offices to the building next door while i was away (temporarily while our new offices are done up). Nice though, i actually have my own window which makes a change.

Day 164 - a mini Grand?

 

A favourite section on the local heath, run through today in a very warm, very humid hours run. Reminds me of a miniature Grand Canyon. 

Day 163 - A total contrast

In a total contrast to last weeks event, today was a fun event with bonkers friends. Nifty Nanas dressed all in blue (with a couple of welcome interlopers) 'running' the 5 mile race at the one off event 'Wedding Cow Races'. We all crossed the line together in a generous 1 hour and 17 minutes, a finish time which might well have been influenced by alcohol intake and general mucking about. :-)

Day 162 - Theres no place like home

"Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home..."

Don't you find that no matter how great a time youve had on holiday, its still really nice to walk back in your own front door?...

Day 161 - waterfalls

 

Visited Tarn Hows today, bit touristy but quite nice. Even nicer was finding a little path going away from the touristy bit and going down a rocky path past this lovely waterfall..

Day 160 - little faerie bridge

Another hot day
Another walk not in the open.
found some ruined cottages and this delightful little stone bridge just wide enough for one person (or several faeries) to cross at a time. Very quiet.

Day 159 - boulder hopping

Still very hot today in Cumbria so a walk undercover for the dogs' sake is required. We discovered a little used river walk just round the corner from the cottage so did a little boulder hopping.

Day 158 - stone balancing

The day following the marathon I was just taking it easy. As i hadnt got to see it yesterday I thought a walk along the banks of Coniston Water for the last 4km would be good. Shame i hadnt got that far as it was a very nice run through trees! Along the lakeside we discovered a little forest of stone balanced cairns. very artistic

Day 157 - the dreaded DNF (my first!)

Taken during the Coniston Marathon shortly before I decided I had had enough at around 14-15 miles. My heat addled brain decided it would be funny to take a picture as it would 'prove' i was delirious at this point...(yeah I know!)
The muggy heat was very unexpected and I was totally unprepared and didnt know how to cope with it. Cue dizzyness and nausea and not being able to stomach water or food.
It was after this that with great relief I walked, let the sweeper catch me up, and told her I was pulling out. Didnt seem worth killing myself over?

Day 156 - Number pick up

Number pick up for tomorrows Coniston Marathon
To say i am nervous is an understatement....

Day 155 - a lovely evening

Funny how a route you do often sometimes looks extra special.
really taken with the green of the trees this evening

Day 154 - Wild flowers

Such a lovely carpet of poppies, and wild flowers close to the river in Wimborne today.

Day 153 - last little jogette....

....before Sunday. This one is worrying me a little not sure why. Think its the tight cut off. 6 hours might be a bit close. Oh well can only do my best I guess!

Day 152 - Its Raining again

Raining again, just in time to go for a run, again....

Day 151 - Rhododendrons

Amazing display of Rhododendrons flowering all over the heath today. Hundreds and Hundreds of flowers. Here is a great close up

Day 150 - Cheers

Nothing much to say or show, just enjoying a glass of wine in the garden :-)

Day 149 - Stick Police strikes again

Max & Daisy enjoying some swim time in hot weather. Daisy is being the Stick Police as usual by trying to stop Max swimming after the stick by hanging on to his tail and pulling

Day 148 - Hawthorn blossom

So many flowers along the river at the moment. Here are the delicate blossoms of the Hawthorn tree, just tinged with pink

Day 147 - Whats the time?

I noticed today all the dandelion clocks were out today and knowing they wouldnt last very long I wanted to take a close up before they all disappeared in a gust of wind! What better time to try out the macro setting on my new phone's camera? I tried to find the most perfect one I could...

Day 146 - Cow close up

Dont normally get a welcoming committee when I head for the heath but this evening the resident cows were right by the gate. One of them got a little tangled in the fence but was rescued by a friend who lives nearby.

Day 145 - de-signing

After a day of taking our signs from the Ox route with Daddy, Daisy is a tad tired, bless her....

Day 144 - Ultra Recovery

What? looks like ideal recovery fuel to me.. got a few calories to put back...

Day 143 - Ox Ultra

36 muddy miles in the Ox Ultra Marathon was completed today with fellow Rebel Scum members Neil & Dave.
My favourite pic of the event, here we are nicking the last bit of Coke apparantly on the whole course :-)

Day 142 - visiting Grandad

Took the dogs to visit 'Grandad', Daisy always enjoys a cuddle...

Day 135 - Who ate all the cake?

this is whats left when you take 2 large cakes to parkrun to share with over 700 runners.

Day 134 - Friday 13th

I'm pleased to report nothing bad happened.

Day 133 - Drowned Rat

Yep, this was pretty much me today. Definitely the wrong day to decide to ride to work and back. I left home OK, but 10 mins in and the heavens opened.
The weather was lovely during the day so i had high hopes of a nice trip home, but no, 10 mins into the ride home it was like having buckets of water thrown over me.
Now i have a cold...

Day 132 - Here's looking at you kid

Grandson is getting bigger now - latest scan picture from Hazel. Look at those chubby cheeks :-)

Day 131 - sea mist

You know, doing this sort of blog you get days where you despair about what to photograph. Not a lot happens, not a lot takes your fancy to record.

So just about getting to that point this evening when I looked out the window. If any picture captures it its this, sea mist coming in, looks like a whole load of nothing but in reality its covering a whole lot, you just cant see it!

Day 130 - The woods are lovely, dark and deep

Apart from the warden locking up the toilets, I was the only car in the car park at Upton Country Park this evening, and pretty much the only person walking around. So peaceful.
The wooded area was damp and cool.
reminded me of the last verse of a poem by Robert Frost:

'The woods are lovely, dark and deep,  

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.'

Day 122 - let them drink beer

Today was mostly spent mooching around the last couple miles of the North Dorset Village Marathon course and tempting runners with beer!

Day 119 - Happy Birthday to Me!

Today I have some lovely presents to open :-)

Day 115 - Sub 5 hours!

London Marathon Time - 04:59:29
finally a number 4 at the front.
Here I am after the finish with pals Eve and Steve who ran with me up to about halfway.