By: Blonde Two
Over the last few weeks, Not-at-all-Blonde (NAAB) has been having some Blonde navigation lessons. We have been gradually building up Dartmoor distance and yesterday reached the heady heights of 9km over a selection of fairly rough terrains.
NAAB has also been taking over the navigation. This was impressive yesterday as her super-Blonde mother had managed to leave the compass at home.
Luckily the route I had planned had plenty of linear and catching features so we managed not to get lost. We even found a near invisible stone row, my favourite stile and somewhere sheltered to eat lunch.
I have to say that I am quite proud of my protege. She has picked up map and compass work quickly and her sensible head means that she avoids many of the Blonde mistakes to which I am prone.
We did have a “moment” though! I won’t elaborate but my navigation skills were brought into question and … well you can imagine what I thought of that! I think the “moment” lasted all of five minutes which, for a fiery mother and daughter team on a wet moor, is quite good going.
At my advanced years, with my daughter (blogonym High Horse – schoolteacher background), a recurring phrase during joint ventures goes:
“Let me do that Dad”.
Listen out for it!
She has already decided that she is better at filling the car up than me. She can’t even drive!
Linear features? Catching features? Emergency rubber gloves? It could be my dratted eyesight but you’re getting more and more distant, more obscure. Of course remoteness befits a goddess but is it time for us to say goodbye formally before you become entirely unapproachable. Unknowing and unknown, a golden thingummy slipping over the horizon:
Changed from glory unto glory.
A line from Love Divine, All Loves Excelling which I’ve never understood. Perhaps you could clear that one up too “afore ye go” (Slogan on Bell’s whisky bottle.)
Don’t go Robbie, you would be missed!
Linear features – things that go along the ground for some distance and are easy to navigate along. Walls, rivers, roads …
Catching features – things that go along the ground for some distance and will stop you from walking too far because you would have to get your direction very wrong to miss them. For example, “There is a road to the south, I am not quite sure where I am but if I walk south, I will definitely get to the road.”
Emergency rubber gloves – they were a gift!