Author Topic: After a hike are you often surprsied to what you come back to?  (Read 1142 times)

gunwharfman

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Whether it be family friends or work, I am often surprised about what's waiting for me after a return from a hike. For example, it's my job to mow the lawn, which tends to be my first task but surprise surprise, this time my wife now wants it to be a wild lawn, long grass that is.

Before I left I had an agreement with the Council that they would put in a power shower for one of my clients. Two days before I got home I had family members phoning me and moaning about what's been done. Instead of a power shower a Travel Lodge type tap system, a tube, and showerhead have been fitted just running off the normal water supply. I can never work those tap types out, I either end up being scalded or doused with cold water! So what started off as a simple matter is now complicated.

I mentioned to my wife when I finished my hike that for the moment my heels are sore (just bruised and bashed about a bit) so she obviously mentioned it to a neighbour. At 11.30 today an envelope was pushed through our door and in it was an emery board and two sachets of foot balm. A nice neighbour (she works with feet) and a nice thought but I don't have rough, dry or cracked heels, she must have assumed that I do have?

Then a laugh, I was putting all of my gear away neatly in my garage when another neighbour appeared telling me that when she sees me doing this she knows I've been away walking so she came over to ask where I'd been, did I enjoy it, was the weather bad and so on? She made me feel so predictable, I didn't realise my behaviour was that obvious.

Now my wife wants me to clean my car, both inside and outside, and it's the job I hate most, give me the lawnmower any day!


veracocha

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Rarely surprised as its probably everything that I would have done had I been at home. Scared is more likely as my freeze dried summit to eat meals are a far safer option than what the wife serves up.

MkPotato

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I’m not sure if this is the gist, but since a walk in the hills, by it’s very appeal, takes you to a place beyond the trivialities and frustrations of modern life, it’s often a shame to be brought down to Earth (literally as well as figuratively) by a return to those annoyances.

gunwharfman

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After more than a year away I re-visited my local pub last night. Nothings changed, all of the same faces, the pub looks brighter though and I like the table service, very continental! I lost 5Kg in weight on my recent Pennine Way hike but I noticed that most of the people that I know or nod to, had put on weight! The landlady told me I looked very well "unlike that lot over there," she said. We all had a good laugh and I felt good. I just hope we don't have another lockdown.  :)

[Rgmw]largie

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Biggest one for me :- I'd taken my eldest away for their first camp on a proper  rural site :- Came home to find out Diana was dead.


Dave

ayjay

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I've recently returned from four days in Norfolk, not an actual walking trip, although I did walk for an average of five hours per day, (13th - 16th, it was too hot for any more)  in pursuit of photographs of Swallowtail butterflies and Norfolk Hawker dragonflies.

I came home to no post on the mat: I'm used to at least three items of junk or catalogues for my wife every day.

I only lost 5lb, but as I usually put on 1lb per day in such circumstances, I reckon I lost 9lb. :)

Birdman

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After I returned from my PCT hike in 2018, it turned out that a water pipe had failed in my flat. The water came through the ceiling of my neighbours below me, so they called my landlady. When I came home, they had fixed everything already and there was a nice new floor in my bathroom. All this had happened without my knowledge while I was enjoying my hiking and camping in the stunning mountains of Washington state. I love being a renter and not an owner of my flat :)


Enjoying my hike while my water pipe burst! I never knew about it until everything had already been fixed
My travel and walking reports: https://www.hikingbirdman.com/

gunwharfman

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I've just been on your site, a great photo of you, caught you just right.

Slowcoach

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A friemnd of mine was in the Lakes walking with a group of us when he got home he found his wife had got builders in to build a new fireplace and surround, a couple of years later he returned home to find a porch being built.
It's all uphill from here.

 

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