Out in the Wild.

I sat below this massive yesterday to catch my breath after the gruelling slog to reach this point, about a third of the way of my overall walk and climb. I felt wonderfully at one with the world as I sat even though there was a bitterly cold wind. I looked around and felt pleased to see that I was probably the oldest person who had made the climb, there is still life in the old dog yet.

As I sat and began this painting I overheard some comments from some of the people gathered near me.  One girl made the comment that "It is a real pity they have not put in a chairlift. These views are spectacular it is such a shame it is so difficult to get up here to enjoy them." Now I thought the whole idea of being out in the wild was to expend some energy and enjoy the payback.

Over the years I have heard many such comments and have read some in visitors comments at some places at the beginning and ends of some walks.

Here are one or two I hope like me you find them amusing.

I was eating my picnic and a deer stole my sandwich, is there anywhere I can claim compensation?

They need to widen the trails and tracks my husband and I like to walk together holding hands.

We need a great many more trails that do not go uphill.

There seems to be a great abundance of spiders and their webs. Is there no way of controlling the numbers?

While camping I am often kept awake by animal noises can this not be kept down?

We need more signs to enable us to keep the area pristine, there is far too much rubbish around.

There are far too many rocks lying around in those mountains.

A McDonalds at the summit would have been nice.

Probably the best of them all. The places where there are no trails are not very well marked.

Have a great day I am heading out to find some of those unmarked trails.