Morning Walk



I met an Australian woman today, she was called Helen and she hailed from the wonderful sounding city of Bunbury which she reliably told me was a good cycle journey south of Perth.
Ellen was cycling around Britain. She had survived a bout of cancer, had recently divorced her husband of twenty five years and was hoping to write an account of her "adventures" here in the UK
I gleaned this much about her within two minutes of meeting her.
She wasn't a shy  gal.
I asked her if she had experienced many "adventures" in Wales so far and she laughed lustily
" It's all been a bit dull" she confided " But that's the Welsh for you!"
Her next port of call she told me, was Chester, then she was hoping to cycle up towards the Lake District, before experiencing Scotland.

All this took place on the local cycle/walkway and our conversation started after She had asked me if she could photograph the dogs three of whom where sat quietly with me on a bench overlooking a view of the coast. She had lost her dog in the divorce she told me " but had kept the house!"

Another couple of cyclists joined then stopped and were ushered into her conversation so I left them to it. Before I moved on, however, she asked if I wanted a copy of the photos so I gave her my email address and wished her well.
When I got home, two photos were already waiting for me.










66 comments:

  1. Gorgeous pics taken by a lady from my neck of the woods. Have fun Helen and come safely back to Western Australia. I however would have kept the dog and given up the house. :D

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  2. great photos! i too would have kept the dog and given up the house.

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  3. How nice. You both got something out of the exchange of words. The pictures are great. Use them on your Christmas cards! x

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    1. That's a brilliant idea.

      Photoshop in an edging of tinsel and they are good to go ... you can send me one if you do ;-)

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  4. FABULOUS! I hope the best for this woman on her journey of self!

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  5. What gorgeous photos of your motley little crew :-)

    What a shame she lost the dog in the divorce and only got to keep the house, I would have fought tooth and nail to get it the other way round!!

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  6. Winnie looks like the sassy lead singer with her backing group behind her. All together now..."How much is that doggie in the window?...ARF! ARF!"

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    1. 'Winnie and the Terriers' has a good ring to it :-)

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    2. Ooh yes Donna Summers and the Supremes! I can just imagine Winnie belting 'I Will Survive'. :-)

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    3. More like Abba' s " gimmie gimmie gimmie a man after midnight....."

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    4. "The Winnie Takes It All"

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  7. What a lovely chance meeting. The roads are super tight around the lake district on the way to Windermere, I wish her good luck for riding around there. Last week it was only 9 oC in the Borders of Scotland. brrr

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  8. Sounds like one of my walks John. I never seem to stop talking to many locals though. It's usually English or people from other parts of Ireland or France who walk the hills of West Cork.

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  9. Love the pictures!

    I'd rather give up my house than my dog.

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  10. Don't your boys and girls look lovely. She may not have had an adventure in Wales but she gave you one.

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  11. That's pretty inspiring!

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  12. I LOVE encounters like this! Meeting someone, learning from them and in all likelyhood never seeing them again.
    Something fateful about this.

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  13. Wherever you go in Europe, you always meet an Australian. Never met one in Wales though!

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  14. Perhaps cyclists are a chatty lot everywhere.

    Those dogs look good enough to eat. (well, perhaps that is going a bit far, but they are delightful.)

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  15. Wonderful to see them, the cuties. I am with Jaz, ditch husband and house and keep the dog. And I have a hard time agreeing that the Welsh are dull. Anything but, I'd imagine.

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  16. I would have kept the dog, too, if possible.

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  17. Stopping for a chat-a social custom that needs preserving.

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  18. Great pictures! A lovely reminder of your conversation.

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  19. I am thinking maybe the dog was his ? At least I hope so.
    Everyone is looking so charming, I would have asked for a photo too.
    You could put sticker of Santa hats on them and write a ditty about Winnie and the Terriers (thanks Sue) signing Christmas Joy.

    cheers, parsnip

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  20. Look at the babies! Their adorable, I just want to lather them with kisses. John, if my cats weren't so old, I would get me a dog again. Aww is life, but I just can't harness a cat to walk with me.

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  21. Adorably well behaved!
    Greetings Maria x

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    1. I couldnt quite get over just how well behaved they were too!

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  22. Heartwarming to know that there a people like her out there.
    Your babes couldn't look cuter!

    And yes, I too would give up my house for my dog.

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  23. So cute and very beautiful.

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  24. Brilliant photos, love Winnie in front, looks like she's in charge.
    Briony

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  25. I'm surprised. I always thought the terriers were much bigger, more like Labrador sized. But they look not much bigger than George!

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    1. welsh terriers are the size of a beagle

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  26. What patient , well-mannered dogs you have. They look so happy in each others' company too. Dogs are a great conversation starter aren't they. Your Australian friend will be cold very soon. Oz doesn't do winter as you know it!

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  27. Nice picture of the fabulous four! Sounds like a very friendly encounter with a very friendly visitor.

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  28. If I divorced, I would have kept the dog and to hell with the house.

    They are fabulous photos .. Winnie makes me laugh.

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  29. "So you Winnie again...." Hot Chocolate. I like terriers - they look so cute and well behaved - I am sure they arent. Look like butter wouldnt melt in their mouths.

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  30. Charming photos!

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  31. Great photo and description of your encounter. I love the terriers' neckerchiefs! If that lady were to read your blog she'd soon find out how un-boring the Welsh can be ...

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  32. A chilly good morning from Hobart, Tasmania, right at the bottom of Australia.Mid spring here and we are having a cold snap, 12C with snow on the mountain.
    Bunbury is on the other side of Australia, and I lived there in my early days. A max near 32C there today I hear.

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    1. she said the place was famous for dolphins

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    2. Hadn't heard that, but it's been years since I've been there. Further up the coast the dolphins come in for feeding so I don't see why not.
      A wonderful place with a great lifestyle. Bunbury was always a smaller, sort of holiday town, compared to Perth. Now it is a big city with all the infra structure. Excellent quality of living.

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  33. Love the photo. I wonder what her definition of boring is though?

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  34. Yay for alternative/dfiferent" photographers :D! I love the last photo - its perfect!

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  35. Fantastic photos. Did you see the blog I did from Sydney for you a couple of days ago?

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. I did and loved Winnie street.... forgive me for not replying

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  36. Having lived in Wales for about 5 years before returning to Oz I didn't find it too boring!
    Love the pictures.

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  37. That's quite an adventure she is on. It sounds like she's starting a whole new second half of her life. That second picture with all of the dogs is lovely enough to frame! -Jenn

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  38. They are adorable!
    helen is one ballsey lady but she should know by now that the Welsh are as boring or unboring as anyone else

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  39. Love the photos!
    I enjoy when people are so forthcoming about their adventures :)
    Fiamma

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    1. Is fiamma your real name?
      How wonderful

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  40. What a lovely picture of Winnie guarding her "boys".

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  41. I hope she got visitation rights for the dog.

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  42. Keep the house, kidnap the dog. No reason she shouldnt have both. Though, youd never have met if she couldnt find a dog sitter and been able to make the trip. Winnie needs a tutu to go with her smile. She is so the ham.

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  44. When I bought my first house (in Wales) I was told that the easiest way to meet people was either to have a dog or a baby; we had both and found it to be true.

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  45. What a lovely post today John, the dogs look wonderful good timing because I can well imagine if you wanted them to pose like this it would be a hard job.

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  46. What a handsome bunch of doggies, lovely pictures, Janx.

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  47. Both pics well worthy of being framed.

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  48. Interesting that you changed her name from Helen to Ellen. My mother was always called Helen and in her 50s got her birth certificate and found that she was really Ellen.
    Great photos. Cheers Peter

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  49. When you and the dogs appear in her book, post a link for it, sounds like a fun read (I read a lot of travel essay or narrative.)

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  50. Some . . . can dump their entire life in two minutes . . .
    BUT . . . great pics, nice of her to take them and send them your way.
    (bet you are a good listener)

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