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On Thursday I had a completely random day off school. (As in, the whole school had a random day off.)
There were some towels in the washing machine, and they were pretty wet, so I assumed they'd been washed, and put them in the tumble dryer so they wouldn't smell.
I proceeded to putz about online for the rest of the morning, as evidenced by the posts from that day. (I attempted to do some maths about halfway through the morning, but got discouraged and gave up. I had a bit of a headache which didn't help.)
I had lunch, and then I went for a walk.
This time I went up through the new housing estate, and found a path that used to go along the back of the hospital; I followed that round until it came out behind the old parish church. On the way there was a little wooden bridge over a very clear, shallow stream, which was a very peaceful place because it was in the middle of a hedge and you couldn't see any houses or roads or things. The field just beyond that had an old gate that seemed to lead to another path, but it seemed rather rotten (and was barred shut) so I didn't want to risk trying to climb it and damaging it. I wandered up the road beyond the church a little way because I knew there was another path up there. (Previously I'd been too scared to walk up this road, so that was a kind of minor victory.)
I walked down that path, which led across several fields (at one point I lost the path, and followed some tractor tracks towards the stile I could see, and then I could see the path when I got to the bottom of the slope). It came out onto a tarmac'd path, which turned out to be the cycle path between Braintree and Black Notley. I could have followed that futher, but there was a footbridge/cycle-bridge over the A120 that I went over instead. Then I followed a path beside the A120 for a time, having decided to turn around at 3pm (I started at 1pm, but I'd done a lot of doubling back on myself early on, so thought I only had about an hour back at most; I had to be back by 4pm so I'd be in when my mother got in), but left it to turn in towards Braintree, and walked along a half-tarmac'd path behind some school playing fields (and a housing estate). There I met a black-and-white cat, which was sitting on a wooden platform in a coppiced tree, next to a bridge made out of wooden pallets and slats that led across the ditch. It was a very friendly cat, and came to rub against my legs, probably because it had white fur and I had black trousers. It seemed to have something wrong with its left eye - there was a little dried blood as if it'd been crying blood at some stage, and it kept trying to scratch that side of its face on plants. It had a faded blue collar on, but there were no tags on it, only bells.
After leaving the cat I found a shortcut through the hedge, but the ditch wall was a bit steep to climb, so I didn't go through it. On emerging into a housing estate I tried to trace where the shortcut led, and it appeared to join the school playing fields, so I'm glad I didn't take it, as there were people playing football there. I scared some old ladies by wandering around their housing estate, and then continued through it until I found a path into a field again, although it was more a piece of parkland than a field. At this point I realised that I really didn't know where I was, although I was pretty sure I was in Braintree as I'd seen the spire of St Michaels. I made my way across the field and down a row of houses that faced onto it (with just a footpath in front, not a road), and then I could hear traffic so I made my way towards the source of the noise, assuming that it'd be a more major road that I'd be likely to recognise. There was, and I turned back along it, knowing the way home from here. On the way down I spotted the path I'd been following continuing - the John Ray Walk - but I decided I wanted to get home, as my legs were already aching - after only two hours walking, and remember that this is Essex and hence doesn't know what a hill is. (How unfit am I!)
When I got home, I started doing some theory test practice off the CDs, and I seem to be passing most of the time (I only did one Hazard Perception Test, 'cos they take *ages*, but I did pass it). Then my mother came in and was very impressed with me.
It was only when she insisted I tell my dad what a good girl I'd been that I discovered that actually the towels hadn't been washed, and hence I'd tumble-dried a load of dirty towels...
There were some towels in the washing machine, and they were pretty wet, so I assumed they'd been washed, and put them in the tumble dryer so they wouldn't smell.
I proceeded to putz about online for the rest of the morning, as evidenced by the posts from that day. (I attempted to do some maths about halfway through the morning, but got discouraged and gave up. I had a bit of a headache which didn't help.)
I had lunch, and then I went for a walk.
This time I went up through the new housing estate, and found a path that used to go along the back of the hospital; I followed that round until it came out behind the old parish church. On the way there was a little wooden bridge over a very clear, shallow stream, which was a very peaceful place because it was in the middle of a hedge and you couldn't see any houses or roads or things. The field just beyond that had an old gate that seemed to lead to another path, but it seemed rather rotten (and was barred shut) so I didn't want to risk trying to climb it and damaging it. I wandered up the road beyond the church a little way because I knew there was another path up there. (Previously I'd been too scared to walk up this road, so that was a kind of minor victory.)
I walked down that path, which led across several fields (at one point I lost the path, and followed some tractor tracks towards the stile I could see, and then I could see the path when I got to the bottom of the slope). It came out onto a tarmac'd path, which turned out to be the cycle path between Braintree and Black Notley. I could have followed that futher, but there was a footbridge/cycle-bridge over the A120 that I went over instead. Then I followed a path beside the A120 for a time, having decided to turn around at 3pm (I started at 1pm, but I'd done a lot of doubling back on myself early on, so thought I only had about an hour back at most; I had to be back by 4pm so I'd be in when my mother got in), but left it to turn in towards Braintree, and walked along a half-tarmac'd path behind some school playing fields (and a housing estate). There I met a black-and-white cat, which was sitting on a wooden platform in a coppiced tree, next to a bridge made out of wooden pallets and slats that led across the ditch. It was a very friendly cat, and came to rub against my legs, probably because it had white fur and I had black trousers. It seemed to have something wrong with its left eye - there was a little dried blood as if it'd been crying blood at some stage, and it kept trying to scratch that side of its face on plants. It had a faded blue collar on, but there were no tags on it, only bells.
After leaving the cat I found a shortcut through the hedge, but the ditch wall was a bit steep to climb, so I didn't go through it. On emerging into a housing estate I tried to trace where the shortcut led, and it appeared to join the school playing fields, so I'm glad I didn't take it, as there were people playing football there. I scared some old ladies by wandering around their housing estate, and then continued through it until I found a path into a field again, although it was more a piece of parkland than a field. At this point I realised that I really didn't know where I was, although I was pretty sure I was in Braintree as I'd seen the spire of St Michaels. I made my way across the field and down a row of houses that faced onto it (with just a footpath in front, not a road), and then I could hear traffic so I made my way towards the source of the noise, assuming that it'd be a more major road that I'd be likely to recognise. There was, and I turned back along it, knowing the way home from here. On the way down I spotted the path I'd been following continuing - the John Ray Walk - but I decided I wanted to get home, as my legs were already aching - after only two hours walking, and remember that this is Essex and hence doesn't know what a hill is. (How unfit am I!)
When I got home, I started doing some theory test practice off the CDs, and I seem to be passing most of the time (I only did one Hazard Perception Test, 'cos they take *ages*, but I did pass it). Then my mother came in and was very impressed with me.
It was only when she insisted I tell my dad what a good girl I'd been that I discovered that actually the towels hadn't been washed, and hence I'd tumble-dried a load of dirty towels...
