Woman on Her Way

Wed, 28-Jan-2015 Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center

I welcome having guest and exploring Florida with them. Wednesday, a life-long friend from Massachusetts and I visited the Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach. The cool weather attracts manatees and other fish to the warm water in the discharge canal, which was designated an official state manatee sanctuary in 1986.

I’ve been seeing the cooling towers of the coal-fired power plant from the highway for years, but had never visited the Big Bend Power Station. It is located on 1500 acres near Apollo Beach.

Walking from the parking lot, we saw the sixteen solar “trees” and the panels atop of the Manatee Education Center building that produce 43,800-watts, enough energy to power 10 to 20 homes, depending on how energy efficient they were. Unfortunately, this is Tampa Electric’s largest installation of photovoltaic arrays. After seeing extremely large solar panel setups in Europe, I found these disappointing, nothing more than a token effort to supplying green energy. 20150128_104017 manatees 400

As soon as we walked onto the viewing platform, we saw hundreds of manatees. There was a sea cow with her calf and I learned that a young manatee will nurse for one to two years. I guess calves don’t need to breathe to suckle, because they nurse underwater from teats located behind the mother’s flippers. They begin to eat plants a few weeks after birth.

Manatees are herbivores and consume about 4 to 9% of their body weight daily and require a source of fresh water for drinking. I was surprised to see signs not to feed or water the manatees; I never thought that a salt water animal would need a supply of fresh water.

Most of the manatees have scars and damaged flippers. These injuries result from collision with boats, boat propellers, and entanglements in fishing nets. Even though the manatees are an endangered specie, many boaters would like them declassified to “threathened” so they can encroach on the manatees’ habitats. I think this would be a shame.

In addition to manatees, the warm waters attract other fish, such as mullet, snook, tarpin, sting rays, and shark. We saw fish chases and jumping fish.

The Manatee Viewing Center education building provided information on the manatees, the mangrove habitat, other wildlife found in the estuary, and the TECO plant itself. The docents were well-informed to answer questions and provide learning experiences for groups of children.

After leaving the viewing platform we strolled along the nature trail that followed the canal and onto the break wall. We saw the mangroves and other flora, and a variety of birds. It was a beautiful day to explore this environment.

I highly recommend others to visit Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center. It is worth the drive.

Friday, July 4, 2014 Paddleboarding in Sarasota

Several years ago, an author friend Gina Greenlee told me about paddleboarding and how much she enjoyed it. At the time, I was writing Women of the Way and did not take time to try this new sport. Today, Elizabeth Chandler, Dennis and I slathered ourselves in sunscreen to try SUP, stand up paddleboarding. Gulfside Padddleboards had a special introductory price that included a brief lesson, board rentals, and a convenient location for us.

Wanting to beat the holiday beach crowd and the glaring Florida sun, we arrived at the boat launch at 9:30 A.M., just as the truck with the boards and kayaks was pulling in. We wore boat shoes, but since shoes are not required, we decided to go “naked,” at least on our feet. Nate Dunn, the proprietor, showed us how to get on the board and basic paddling techniques. He offered us a waterproof bag for our shoes, water bottles, etc. In the excitement of getting started, we forgot the camera, so no pictures of us on the water.

At first, I was a little shaky but I quickly learned how to keep my balance. For some reason, my stroke on the left side is stronger, so I had to make an effort to stroke deeper and more often on my right to prevent from going in circles. It didn’t take long for Elizabeth and Dennis to leave me behind…I am a slow paddler. Without them near me, I enjoyed the quiet and took time to look around. I imagined what it must have been like for Huck Finn to paddle down the Mississippi. Unlike him, I was paddling past mansions, condos, and hotels, but it was still an adventure. I loved the way the water lapped the board with little smacking sounds.

From the dock, we floated down the canal, past Midnight Pass, and then into the Jim Neville Wildlife Preserve, a 35-acre protected area that surrounds Midnight Pass in Little Sarasota Bay. There are a lot of possible paths through the mangroves. We chose one that dead-ended and had to turn around. From there we paddled over oyster beds, stopped at a sandy beach, and then walked across the dunes onto Turtle Beach. Today, the water was picture-perfect green and, for the bay, surf was up. This is so unusual that I could not resist a quick dip before returning to our boards and back to the rental place.

Though we were on the water for a little over an hour, we saw a manatee swimming slowly and then surfacing with a snort, schools of large, medium, and small fish, and jumping mullets. I experienced wakes from boats and ski-dos, the latter almost threw me off the board, and felt my paddleboarding skills improve. Though I enjoyed paddleboarding, next time, I might rent a kayak to better explore the wildlife preserve.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014 Ivinghoe Beacon

We were very fortunate to have glorious weather for our final day. It started off cool, but leaving the B & B, I immediately shed my jackets. It was a short walk past the Tring Station to the trail head. Since we thought we were only walking 5.5 miles, we carried our packs. As we entered the beech forest, and started to ascend to the ridge, Dennis asked if we should hide our packs and walk unencumbered. Not wanting to limit our options once we got to Ivinghoe Beacon, I declined the offer.

We saw squirrels, rabbits, and red kites in the beech and chestnut forests. Atop the ridge, we could see a cloud’s shadow on a red poppy field below. (photo left) All day long, fair-weather clouds drifted over us, but it was warm enough not to have to keep putting on and taking off a jacket. Even so, I kept rolling my sleeves up and down and putting my hood on and off, especially in the open windy areas.

After yesterday’s steep ascents, today’s walk was easy, with only one moderately steep climb. There were a few other walkers who started at the car park 0.3 miles (500 m) from Ivinghoe Beacon. As we approached the gate leading to the last portion of the walk, there were three classes on a school outing sitting on the path and eating lunch. The teachers had to tell the kids to move out of our way, but most of them were polite and greeted us with a “Hi, ya.”

From the top, we could see the Whipsnade White Lion. Built in 1933 to indicate the position of the Whipsnade Wildlife Park, the chalk lion measures 483 ft (147 m). For the 50th birthday, it was illuminated. That must have been interesting to see at night.

After taking photos, we sat below a tuft of grass, and ate cookies we had reserved for this day. Hidden from the wind and stretched out on our sleeping mats, we soaked in the warm sunshine and joy of completing our trek.

From the top there are many paths, but few were going to places convenient for those without a car. Most of the small villages did not have train access and we could not be certain to have bus service. So, we decided to return to the Tring Station, which provided us with more options.

Our descent was relatively easy (see left). At the Tring Station, we decide to take a local bus to Tring and find lodging there. There wasn’t any. The B&Bs listed in the book were no longer open, and the hotels were full. We went to the library to research local inns. All that we called were full. Since it was getting late in the day, we decided to take the Tring train to London and find a place to stay there.

London had no room–nor did towns 40 miles away. After hours of searching, we found a single room, up four flights, without air-conditioning, but with en suite. This was not the Ritz, but it was the Carlton. For $255.20 (150 £) we were safe, dry, and cuddly in a twin bed. After a couple of hours, Dennis spread the sleeping mat on the floor and stayed there until morning.

No one was able to explain the overcrowding. Perhaps there are too many baby-boomers retiring and traveling. For whatever reason, I will make reservations next time I come to London, or carry a tent.

Monday, June 16, 2014 Wigginton, UK

20140616_122450 panorama 300 Today’s walk provided beautiful vistas from several Chiltern Hills, chalk escarpments in South East England. This morning I saw my first Red Kite, a medium-large bird of prey. Though we climbed up down the various hills, the walk was not strenuous. If fact, it was quite enjoyable.

We walked through the outskirts of Princes Risborough, a midieval market town since 1376, but today was not a market day. The name ‘Risborough’ means ‘brushwood-covered hills’. The prince referred to in the name is Edward Prince of Wales who was given the manor house in 1344 at age 14 and who lived there until his death 32 years later.

On Whiteleaf Hill, we saw a 4,000 year-old neolithic barrow. (photo right) This was the burial of a man in a wooden mortuary house along with pottery, flint objects and animal bones.

Since we were walking about 18 miles today, we taxied our bags forward. It was costly (about $50 dollars) but worth it in light of my injured foot. The taxi driver picked up the bags and drove us to an ATM on his way to deliver the gear. When Dennis got out of the car, he started to put on the backpack. The taxi driver and I were confused by his doing so. Feeling foolish, Dennis replaced the bag in the trunk and offered the lame excuse that the backpack was such a part of his routine that he “forgot” it was being sent forward. At least we got a few laughs out of his mistake.

Once back up on the ridge, we saw the Chiltern valley below with its various hamlets and communities. There is a lot of history in this region, which we were unaware of as we walked the Ridgeway Path. I am sure if we had had the time, we could have diverted from the Ridgeway to see historical points of interest, but we only had a week.

We walked past Chequers, the country home of the Prime Minister. 20140616_144755 monument 300 The land was fenced off with railroad tracks, cut and welded vertically. There were lots of security cameras, as you can imagine. At one point, we walked through fields on the Chequers’s property.

Later in the day, the sky clouded over and the winds picked up. We hoofed through lovely wooded nature preserves and then climbed to 852 ft (260 m) to Coombe Hill. As we got to the top, it started to rain, the wind made it impossible to use our umbrellas, and the temperatures dropped to mid 50° F. We didn’t stay long at the monument erected in memory of 148 men from Buckinghamshire who died during the Second Boer War.

Once off the hill, the winds were calmer and the rain eventually stopped, but the temperatures never rose. The path took us through Wendover, another market town at the foot of the Chiltern Hills. It was hard to resist stopping at the Rumsey’s Chocolaterie. Then we walked past the beautiful entrance to St. Mary’s church. (photo left) There was an event at the church and we were invited in. Since we have seen many churches on this trip, we continued on our trek.

At last we reached The Greyhound in Wigginton, tired and hungry. Our accommodations were modern and the food was “brilliant”, as the English say. Once again, we had difficulty connecting to the internet from our room. I wonder if the British will ever solve this malady.

Sunday, June 15, 2014 Kingston Blount, UK

Lightning, thunder, and driving rain awakened us during the evening. As soon as the sun was up, around 4:00 A.M., the birds started chirping and cawing. Sue May had returned from the reunion and prepared the English Breakfast for Dennis, while I had a lighter meal. She drove us to the trailhead so we wouldn’t be drenched from walking through the field.

The trail was muddy and buggy…seems the rain attracted the flies. In places, we had to climb over the gate similar to the one pictured because the ground was flooded. No easy task with full packs.

We walked through a large Chiterns wood which opened to a large field of poppies with a clearly marked path. I felt like Dorothy leaving the enchanted forest and following the yellow brick road to Oz. The only difference is the morning mizzle did not invite me to lay down and sleep; instead it encouraged me to walk quicker.

We had to be in Kingston Blount, our destination before the B & B stopped serving dinner—on Sundays, there is no evening meal. Since there are no other eateries in town, we had to arrive there by 3:00 P.M. Additionally, it is Father’s Day and we had no reservations.

I am amazed by how straight the plow lines are in the fields. My neighbor in Hampstead, NH use to chide me for not mowing the grass in a nice pattern. He would be proud to live next to any of these farms. Turns out, the farmers use a GPS to guide them, but prior to that, farmers took great pride in the straightness of the plow lines.

I also learned that the average farm is about 3,000 acres, explaining why I saw farm buildings but not farm houses. It also explains why the fields are so large.

There was a team race today throughout the Ridgeway. For 87 miles, runners ran cross-country. The 25th Ridgeway Relay Race started on Ivinghoe Beacon near Aylesbury at 7.30 A.M. and attracted 47 teams. The race finished at Marlborough Leisure center later on during the afternoon. I was amazed by the number of older runners and the number of females entered in the race. 20140615_143617 The Cherry Tree 300

Our estimated seven mile day turned out to me slightly more than eleven, but we managed to arrive at The Cherry Tree in Kingston Blount at 2:30 P.M. Just in time, we were the last served.

Saturday, June 14, 2014 Ewelme, UK

We had thunder storms all night and awoke to grey skies. Richard and Kim, owners of The Swan were very sympathetic and kind hosts who seem to understand hikers and their needs. In the morning Richard took us to the trailhead so we wouldn’t need to cross the wet fields and shorten our walking about a mile. As we got there, John and Ken walked up and we stroll along together for several miles. It started to rain and we all donned our rain gear, which made carrying the weight worth while.

We walked with them until we reached the approximate half way mark—Overton Hill to Ivinghoe Beacon. It felt good knowing that I had only 44 miles to go, and the end seemed doable, even with my hobbling.

John and Ken were faster walkers and they resumed their normal pace.

We entered Streatley and crossed the Thames in Goring-on-Thames, the river is not very wide at this point. A party boat was moored near a restaurant and yachts and more modest boats were in the marina.

We went in search of the ATM indicated on our map. To our disappointment it was not functioning. In these remote areas on the Ridgeway, there are few opportunities to get cash out of the “holes-in-the-wall,” as the British call them.

After a quick snack, we walked in pastures along the Thames. They were sopping with the night’s rains and full of cow plops so we had to tread cautiously. In spite of this, it was scenic with swans and geese swimming in the water. On the other side there were houseboats, large homes, and recreation areas. I heard my first coo-coo bird and understand why it was chosen to mark time.

We passed through South Stoke and then the more affluent North Stoke. There we rested on a bench in the church yard before continuing on. Both of us have tired feet. We have been walking long distances and have not acquired our “hiker legs”. By the time we do, we will be on our way home.

At the intersection of the Swan Path and Ridgeway path, we called May’s Farm and B & B in Ewelme (a town that is no more than a spot on the map) for directions. The proprietor Sue was at a school reunion, so her husband gave us directions. “Not far. Take a path on the left, and then go through the field.” “Not far” turned out to be a couple of miles. Allistar is not a hiker and confused where we were.

The Ridgeway Path became a narrow single track barely wide enough for a bicycle. Since it was “not far” we took the wrong turn and went through another farmer’s field (luckily we weren’t shot for trespassing.)

We stopped to ask directions, but people were not aware of the B&B in Ewelme. At Oakley Court (the map listed Turner Court; the name changed about 10 years ago) Dennis called for better directions.

We were told to look across the field for the house with the rose bush. From where we were, we could barely see a house. It took us about twenty-five minutes to get through the soybean field—not far.

Our room was bright with windows opening to gorgeous views. After 18 miles, we welcomed the hot showers. Allistar took us to the King Williams Pub for supper. Since we had no reservations, we had to sit on picnic tables near a sheep pasture. It was idyllic, but cold. I waited in the alcove for our host to fetch us. Sleep came easily.

Friday, June 13, 2014 East Ilsley, UK

Michael Lowrey, the proprietor of the Fox and Hounds, pointed out the stylized Uffington Horse. (Small white spot on hill). It is hard to discern and best when viewed from the air.

He has not hiked the Ridgeway and is new to the area, so his directions down from the scarp were misleading. When he drove us back three miles to where we got off the Ridgeway, he was surprised to see how far and steep the road was. He also transferred our bags ahead twelve miles to The Swan in East Ilsley. Slack packing (only carrying a light day pack) will be easier on my injured foot, which is swollen and mottled.

Climbing back up onto the ridge took us past scrubs and flowering plants. Birds chirped, insects buzzed, and butterflies added fluttering daubs of color. It was predicted to be the warmest day of the year, and I was all smiles–I hate the cold.

Once up on the scarp, the sizzling sun beats down and I am glad to have the GoLite Chrome-Dome trekking umbrella. It provides shade and reflects the heat.

We spent most of the day on the ridgeline. As we progressed east, the Didcot power station (lower right photo) seemed to grow until we paralleled it. We met two Ridgeway hikers, Ken and John. They told us that the Didcot was decommissioned and would soon be leveled.

There have not been a lot of thru-hikers on the Ridgeway, though we have meet many day hikers, joggers, and mountain bikers. This lack of traffic surprises me because the Ridgeway is one of just 13 National Trails in England. Even though it is only about 40 miles from London, it is very remote and access to accommodations requires descending the Ridgeway and hiking to nearby towns. Perhaps this is why the trail is so little used.

Dennis and I were getting tired and thirsty. We found no place to refill our water bottles up on the Ridgeway. We crossed under the A34 (highway). The tunnel walls had an artistic graffito depicting the local towns. (See left below). Just after the tunnel, we walked about a half mile through a field to our B&B and an ice-cold beer. Life is good!

Thursday June 12, 2014 Uffington, UK

By the time we finished taking buses back to where we finished the hike yesterday, it was almost 11 AM. From the start, we climbed steadily under the shade of overhanging trees. Occasionally we could see the Og valley slowly diminishing as we climbed back up to the Ridgeway.

Once on top, we were exposed to the sun and heat and to miles of oat, soy bean, and wheat fields. The soil is hard-packed and muddy when wet, but it must be fertile. We walked for miles past these fields, with little variance in the scenery. We knew water would be scarce in this remote region, but it was hard to conserve it because of the sun’s intensity and the heavy packs.

We only took two short breaks. The first was just a few miles from the start (right) and the second was for a picnic lunch near Liddington Castle, under the shade of trees and on a bench at a scenic stop.

This is day three, and we met our first Ridgeway hiker, and a few traveling mountain bikers. Oddly enough, runners seem to enjoy the Ridgeway, having arrived by car.

Near Lower Upham Farm, we got lost because the signage was confusing. Near Shipley Bottom, we were walking on tractor wheel ruts, and near the plants where it was easier to walk. Dennis says, “As far as hikers go, this is the bad part of town.” Approaching the B4192 (road), I grabbed a nettle bush to prevent a fall, and my hand continues to prickle.

The road was busy and a sign warned that 27 deaths occurred in the area last year. Not wanting to risk death, we hitched about two miles to get back onto the Ridgeway, where it follows a street for about two miles before climbing back up onto the scarp.

The highlight of the day was the Wayland’s Smithy, a long barrow used for burials 5,500 years ago in the Neolithic period. On the site, there were three pot-smoking “worshipers” burning incense and wild flowers, and a drum circle of about 10 participants. If it had not been for them, we may have taken a snooze on the grassy mounds, but it was getting late and we need to continue to the B & B in Uffington. We descended the scarp after the White Horse Hill, and found the Blowing Stone. We were too tired to see if we could make a note by blowing into the stone’s perorations.

From there, we continued down to Uffington, three or more miles on tarmac. After over twenty miles, my shin was starting to hurt, and both of us were tired. We must have looked terrible, because no one gave us a lift.

Shower, meal, and sleep awaited us.

Wednesday, June 11, Ogbourne St. George

Our B&B hostess treated us to a savory vegetarian English breakfast…fuel for the miles to come. Afterwards we visited the Sanctuary, a prehistoric site on Overton Hill. The site consists of six concentric rings of timbers erected around 3000 BC. In 1930, excavators found 162 postholes, some with double posts. It is believed that he timbers may have supported a roof of turf or thatch and had been a ritual site or mortuary house where corpses were kept. There are also two concentric stone circles. To the right is an interpretation of what the Sanctuary might have looked like (taken from an information panel.)

Across the street from the Sanctuary is the start of the Ridgway Path. Most of the path is packed earth, sometimes grassed-over, and the walking is easy. (After working out the kinks, I managed to develop a good pace in spite of my injured foot, and without a heavy pack)

We walked along one of the most important geological areas in England, the Fyfield Downs with its dry valleys and sarsen stones.(sandstone blocks). People have lived and worked in this area for more than 7000 years.

We passed one of the Wiltshire white horses, chalk hill carvings. It was not visible from the Ridgeway, but we did see it on our bus ride back to the B & B.

We passed the Berwick Bassett Dewpond, with its lovely flowers and dragonflies. In the area are a series of dewponds which form “a necklace across the downs”. These ponds attract wild flower, insects, and are habitat havens for wildlife. This one is enclosed to prevent cattle from destroying it.

We were running low on water and looking forward to getting to Barbury Castle. After we passed the area for the Barbary Castle Horse trials with all the jumping gates, we could see impressions in the earth and a flat top hill–Barbary Castle, an iron age hill fort. All that is left of the 11 acre fort are two deep defensive ditches and rampart. The Ridgway runs through Barbury Castle. The panorama from the top, made the steep climb worth the effort.

It was a gentle descent to the valley of Og and to the town of Ogbourne St. George. As we walked to the bus stop, the bus arrived. We could not have asked for better timing.

In all, we walked about 15 miles. Tomorrow we will do the same, but with packs.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014 Avebury, UK

We hopped on the train in Portsmouth to Swindon, and the took the number 49 bus to Avebury. As we rode northeast along the coast we saw small hamlets along the bays, the harbors filled with boats and yachts. The cerulean blue sky dotted with white puffy clouds competed with the dark blue sea and white sail boats. Inland, we passed refineries, factories and post-war style brick houses. In the larger cities were modern glass towers.

As we head north, the airy clouds merge into large, deep, dark, threatening ones, casting shadows over the pastures and corn fields. They hang low and block out the warm sunshine.

The bus dropped us off in front of the Red Lion Inn in Avebury and we went in search of our B & B (Aveburylife) about 3/4 miles from the center. On the way we purchased a map of the Ridgeway Path in the quaint store (pictured left).

After dropping off our packs, we visited the standing stones. (Upper photo). This world-famous stone circle is one of the most important megalithic monuments in Europe.There are two inner stone circles surrounded by a larger one, which is the largest stone circle in Europe,

The Neolithic henge monument was constructed about 2600 B.C. Its purpose is unknown, although archaeologists believe that it was most likely used for some form of ritual or ceremony. In the early Medieval ages as the town developed, the locals buried the “pagan” stones. In the 1930s archaeologists excavated the site and returned the stones to their standing positions, indicating the missing stones a with a stone marker.

The standing stones are not the only prehistoric wonders in the area. In addition to Stonehenge, there are chalked markings, a dredge, and a man-made megalithic structure at Silbury Hill. Built in 5,000 B.C. this structure is he largest in Europe.

In the early evening, Dennis and I walked through fields to get to the large chalk mound. It is large, grass-covered, and marked by the animals that graze on it. It never amazes me why someone would put so much effort into building monuments such as these. What is it in the human nature that drives people to toil with basic tools to build these wonders?

The National Trust owns Avebury which has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument,as well as a World Heritage Site. There is a museum on site.