On the road again

24.83 miles done. Some of it felt like the easiest walking I've done for quite a while.

The morning found me going over a back road by-passing Dunblane and a dual carriageway. It was raining from about mile 2 but this time I got my jacket out, put the rucsac cover on and went forth. Prepared. I don't know how rain can be different but it wasn't as horrible as the other day and my feet didn't get soaked. It was possibly the coolest walking I've done too, so the jacket was stopping me go silly cold. 10.77 to lunch.

I put on dry socks and a new top at lunchtime and hey presto it didn't rain anymore. A few spots but nothing really.

I used a book for my general route and multimap for help with detail, backed up with proper OS 1:50,000 maps. Each night I try to match the 'instructions' to the map. Unfortunately, today was the first where I went off map and only had the 'structions. Of course, I was then convincing myself I'd gone wrong when the right street name and turning didn't appear. Mr Garmin is invaluable here as I rely on him for distance measuring. I flagged down a car and asked after Thornhill St: 'Oh it's a way to go yet'. Bugger. But, it turns out I hadn't gone off course at all, multimap sometimes describes things as turns when they're not, and doesn't tell you when the streetnames change and so on. Yes, I could have spent months poring over maps checking every inch, but I have a life (no arguing...) and generally it's been fine, if a little nerve-wracking.

Coming into Crieff I was feeling quite chirpy but also a niggle was developing in my right calf muscle. The deadly cramp was lurking. I popped into the medical centre to see if by chance they had a masseur to hand. They didn't. I bought some deep heat. Note to travellers: if you're going to use deep heat do it after you've eaten your snack, not before. So, a new reason to go gingerly.

I stepped it out (ignore and it might go away) but I suspect I still looked a bit iffy as a woman offered me a lift with about 2 miles to go. I said no thank you! I would have missed The Sheep too.

Not long to go and I spot this sheep near the road, wriggling its head about. Daft thing had caught its curly horns on a wire fence and couldn't escape. I had vague memories of forumite Redhead doing a good deed for a sheep in distress and not being thanked, but I thought I'd have a look anyway. Of course, the poor creature just got more agitated when I approached. I'd left my wirecutters at home (they weigh a lot) so I checked the mileage and went on.

It was less than a mile to the hotel so I told the lady where it was (0.85 miles from here :-) ) and she said she'd call the neighbour whose sheep it was. Country folk, eh? I described it as having big curly horns, black faced and sheep shape. Londoners, eh?

I've had a bath and my dinner and done tomorrow's map preps. Calf muscle is still a little tight - I shall apply some more Deep Heat to make the room smell nice. Feet know they've worked but I don't *think* there's any new damage. I've chopped off the dead bits. Tomorrow I'm hoping to do around 20. I shall be on map 52 if you're interested.

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