My son,having been glued to his keyboard all week working on his latest novel,was rather pleased when I suggested that we go exploring along the canal tow path, With my scooter newly returned from the repair shop after having a small fortune spent upon gears, tyres, lights and switches felt confident that she would be fin;and so it was that with a fully charged battery and a basket of cold drinks we set of on our adventure.
Quite recently I discovered Elthorne Park , a special place full of wild rabbits,coots and herons and with a wonderful view over trees and park land to a real horizon,a thing much missed by us former hill dwellers. Knowing that my son would love it I suggested this walk and he was delighted.,we had fortunately remembered to take our cameras....unfortunately neither of us had remembered to pick up our mobile phones before leaving home.
About a mile out we discovered this discrepancy but ,rash fools that we were we felt only that it made our holiday from chores more complete,a nonsensical notion that we were soon to bitterly regret.
All along the way there were lovely thing to be seen and if it had not been for the noise of traffic from a near by motorway it would have been easy to imagine ones self deep in the countryside. Tiny mallard chick and young moor hens abounded and everywhere fat glossy blackberries ,sweet as can be adorned the hedgerows. Bryony and wood nightshade festooned the hawthorn hedges where the haws were already ripening fast.
We reached the park and wandered through the many paths e brow of the arriving at last at the brow of the hill where we gazed at the view like starving men with a feast before them. I have not seen such a horizon for fifteen years and I confess to being close to tears.
Trundling further a long a smooth track we decided that we should consider returning so I put on a little speed to gain the turning space when suddenly ,with out warning the scooter stopped,she stopped so sharply that I was thrown on to the tiller;the acute pain this caused told me that I had probably dislodged a kidney stone...help!
We now realised that leaving home without our phones had been stupid in the extreme,but there was not time for repining and my valiant son began the arduous task of pushing both me and the scooter home................a full three miles!!!
We had climbed the rather steep hills in happy anticipation of the view, now we face having to get the scooter down these hills without the aid of brakes as the only way to push the scooter is by knocking her out of gear and since the gears are the only brakes she has the problem is obvious.
I had to remain on the scooter in and so with my teeth firmly clenched we began the descent. Manfully my son used all his strength to hold the scooter back on the down hill slopes and even more manfully did he strain to push both the scooter and its occupant on the uphill sections.
A bridge,picturesque but dreadfully steep almost proved our undoing for although he managed to push the scooter up the steep slope ,as he came down the other side the weight pulled her away from him and she was for a few seconds out of control,then my son stopped her by the expeditious use of hi boot under the tyre.
I had been holding his hat as he pushed and it was with horror that I realised it was no longer on my knee.......it had gone!
Apologies seemed insufficient as my son stumped off up the tow path to find the missing hat,leaving me parked by a nest of tiny ducklings and feeling dreadful. With his hat back where it belonged we pressed on having no idea at all of the time. Shops were closing,it must be late Pa would be so worried....................hmmmmm!
On our return his casual hello told us that we had not been much missed,still all was well and as I did not feel like cooking we ordered Pizza and iced cream.
Of course now I am back to square one with my scooter and I must admit that my confidence has taken a nose dive since this latest breakdown,yet I cannot go back to b was before the scooters arrival .
That worry must be for another day,for now we are all safe at home,and that is all that matters.
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