Day 66 Harcourt Aboretum Walk

VIEW FROM HIGH

This afternoon I decided the aboretum was the place to be for my walk. It is at Nuneham Courtenay, a little village just outside Oxford. I love the name, and the village, even though a busy road runs straight through it, still looks really sweet, with lovely little cottages on either side.

The aboretum is gorgeous now. Especially the Acer Walk. Brilliant red bushes, gleaming through yellow oaks, limes, and other deciduous trees, some evergreens and set off by blue skies. I puffed my way up a gentle slope and had a short rest taking in the view, before plunging into the Lime Wood, then the Bluebell Wood, before finally coming to the Acer Walk. It wasn't too far really. I was mostly ambling along, stopping to take pictures. next time I go I'll be much more serious about the walking bit, and maybe go the other way around since there is more uphill that way (better for me!) Was very popular today, lots of walkers around.

LIME WALK

ACER

ACER WALK

FOOTPATH

AUTUMN COLOUR

ME TOO!

This peacock was lingering next to the picnic table where a family was having their lunch, obviously waiting for HIS share...

MORE ACER LEAVES!

A GLORIOUS SWEET MAPLE

I wish the sweet maple pictures had come out better - sadly the light wasn't in my favour for them. I had a really nice time, and took about 60 minutes to get round and my leg muscles got a teeny bit of a workout.

No swim today, as am now feeling quite sore and have an achy back. Am heeding the message my body is sending me and having a rest from the pool tonight.

Foodwise, has also been a good day. I've eaten what I consider a normal 3 meals, and it has come in at 1836 calories and 55 Green Day SW Syns. The syn count is high because I had LOTS of bread products today...
A couple of croissants with butter & strawberry jam plus two mugs of tea
A couple of wholemeal pittas with a quarter tub of taramasalata (cat had some T too - she likes it, plenty of licking of chops ensued!)
Pan-fried chicken breast in FryLight, with mashed potatoes, boiled cauliflower, brussel sprouts, dwarf beans, peas and gravy.

I just had a lo-cal Options chocolate drink, and later maybe an apple. That's if I'm not asleep in the next hour - I am very tired, but in a good way. :)

I've had a wonderful day, and now Neil Diamond is playing live on the Electric Proms on Radio 2... mellow sounds.

Addendum: a bowl of crunchy nut clusters with semi-skimmed milk snuck into the menu last minute, bringing day's total to 2161 calories. Yay for me though, for sticking it out with the no food rule between 10pm and 6 am this morning, Sunday.... :) And that despite some really rather strong and uncomfortable emotional thoughts and feelings running riot in my head around midnight last night. I'm proud of myself for working my way through those without the help of food.