Wednesday Walk - How Green is my Valley

in Wednesday Walk10 months ago

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I reached the big 70 last week, and as I said in that POST, I honestly still feel young at heart, BUT the body aches and pains are telling me otherwise.

The reason for that is two-fold, I cannot just blame age! It is because I do not get enough exercise; I do run up and down the stairs doing last-minute checks on our BnB or when the staff is away, but it's not enough.
Hubby and I are both motivated to go for regular walks and get fit, as our son finally booked our tickets to visit them in the Netherlands at the end of July, and we've been warned:

You're going to walk a lot, so please start getting fit.

Unfortunately walking in our suburbs no longer is safe.

We have a property that is built near the top of a valley, so the land is fairly steep, with a couple of stairways, perfect for a cardio workout.

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My garden workout started with a walk up a flight of eleven steps, then up the steep driveway, and onto a level section of lawn with shrubs all around. I was amazed at how big some of them have grown; it's not every day that I inspect every nook and cranny in the garden.

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The Cycads are filling up the whole corner of that section of the garden, while the Leopard Tree is starting to reach for the sky.
You will notice as you walk with me, that we have high fences, some with razor wire on top to stop intruders, not nice, but we have to do it, and the plants do conceal much of that.

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Take a closer look at the pretty Euphorbia Stardust White, or Bridal Veil as my Grandma called it, in full flower, with a strong scent just like honey.
Once they lose their flowers, they really are nothing to look at, but it's so worth it to see this spectacle once a year.

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Walking downhill on the driveway is a little tough on the old knees. Poe followed us wherever we walked, likely wondering what his grandparents were up to. Then it was down the stairs again to get to the front of the house. The poor old horses really look like they're past their sell-by-date.

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Walking around the house to the back of the property where our Lily's Cottage sits at the bottom of the garden, surrounded by trees, shrubs and the pool.

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The birds love this Pigeon Wood tree, but it's getting so big, with some of the branches getting close to the house, so we will have to look at cutting some of them back.

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A short flight of stairs, and then we're on the cottage level, another couple of steps takes us down to the tranquil pool area below.

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I was astounded to see just how full the Pomelo tree is this year; it's been providing us with an abundance of Vitamin C; it has tons of pips but is full of juice. We dilute that with water to make a refreshing and health-giving drink!
Pomelo is not as sour as Lemon, nor as bitter as grapefruit

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The Wild Plum Tree grows near the pool, the birds, and the monkeys. love the fruit. I've included a pic of the pebbles next to the pool so you can see the ripe wild plums.

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Hubby was skeptical when I suggested we walk our garden from top to bottom a couple of times, saying it would not be enough. It however is large and...he could not complete the last round, and was out of breath, so...I proved him wrong. He agreed our garden walkabout was quite a workout!

I managed to walk just over 1000 steps, which took me 12 minutes; I know, that's slow-going, but it was day one.

And, I walked another round to take photos, although that was a stop-and-go walk :)

I'm determined to keep it up and must thank @tattoodjay for keeping #wednesdaywalk going, I'm so glad I finally made it back here! Take a peek at his post filled with a couple of walks and some stunning images.

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70 years young! Happy birthday.

Do you ever feel trapped or claustrophobic in a gated residence? It seems so foreign to me to not be able to walk outside the gates of your house.

Luckily you have a beautiful garden to walk around and I'm sure you'll be fit as a fiddle for the Netherlands! Saying that, maybe it's the netherlands that will get you fit for walking round your garden!

Haha it sounds like we'll get fitter over there!
Yep, here in SA it's rare to see a house without a fence, we can take a short stroll down the road but it's not safe as it's a quiet cul-de-suc so there's not much passing traffic.
High unemployment rates due to business closures post-Covid, loadshedding & the July 2021 Zuma riots, has fuelled crime.
There are many safe and beautiful areas, it's not all bad, so we often take a drive out, but everyone has a fence 😉

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Congratulations on reaching the milestone of 70! Age is just a number, and it's wonderful to hear that you still feel young at heart. Taking care of our bodies becomes increasingly important as we age, and I admire your motivation to get fit and prepare for your upcoming trip to the Netherlands. Regular walks can indeed be a great way to stay active and improve overall fitness.

It's unfortunate that walking in your suburbs is no longer safe, but it's fantastic that you have found a solution within your own property. Your garden workout sounds invigorating, with the flight of steps, steep driveway, and the level lawn with shrubs. It's always fascinating to discover how plants have grown and transformed over time, creating a beautiful environment to enjoy.

Unfortunately walking in our suburbs no longer is safe.

Perhaps it would feel safer if it was a larger group walking? Here in Sweden there are organised night-walker groups, where adults "patrol" the area for a few hours late on weekend nights, wearing yellow neon vests. Both to be present if anything happens and to prevent things from happening just by being around. But there's no reason a group of people couldn't meet up somewhere and go for a walk together at 9am or in the afternoon instead, is there? :) Though if I had a beautiful garden like yours, I don't think I'd need anywhere else to walk!

A belated Happy Birthday, I am findign the effects of age on me and I am only 63 my wife is hittign 70 at the end of the year and for sure she is feeling her age
but yes getting out walking or soem form of exercise is very important, I do my best with that my wife struggles with it, but I keep trying to help to motivate her and hope she will get out more soon

the garden is so beautiful

Exciting news you going to see your son in Holland, able to walk or cycle on that flat countryside !LOLZ you will need to be relatively fit.

Gardens here always look brilliant in the Winter months with the warm colours and fruits at this time of year.

Happy month of June, stay well, keep exercising!

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You're not going slow! You're going at your own pace! The important thing is that you encouraged yourself to do sports that do you a lot of good for your health and thus prepare yourself in the best way for when it is your turn to go to your son's! 😎.

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