On our trek across Spain and France we have ridden past a hundred fields of sunflowers, every flower with its brown face looking down forlornly at the earth, every field except one. Today we rode past the only one where their bright yellow faces gazed up at the sunshine. We were the ones who were forlorn, introspective and saddened, but the sight of those flowers lifted our spirits.
“Chris isn’t it”? Said the big motorcycle guy at breakfast in the ferry’s restaurant.
“Brian actually. John isn’t it”?
“Rob actually”
We both laughed.
The thing with bikers is that we frequently end up chatting about our mutual hobbies and I briefly met Rob and his wife at our hotel in Saumur. I obviously mistook his name for a couple I’d met elsewhere, and he likewise. They invited me to sit with them over breakfast (as we were about to depart from St Malo) and we continued Thursday’s biking conversation.
Continue reading “Bikers”Just when you thought it was safe to relax, along comes the final (unplanned) blog post.
This is probably of more interest to the biker readership, so if you’re not of the two wheel persuasion be prepared to be bored.
But before I run through why, and how I rode the 350 miles through the night, here are e few photographs to get you up to speed.
Sitting on the decking area of The Two Sisters Cafe just outside Kendal, I think what a contrast from a week ago! It’s a favourite stop off of mine, not least because of the quality of its food (attached to Plumgarth’s Farm shop) but also the friendly service.
Continue reading “Life – it’s like being on speed”Some people are thoughtful and kind, it’s just their nature. I’ve experienced a lot in many different ways during my lifetime, but especially over the last two years.
Continue reading “Some People”The smell of wood burning fires rising from the chimneys in the hamlet of Uldale brings an inward smile to me, it is yet another of the senses to be enjoyed when riding a motorbike. The smell of heaps of steaming cow dung maybe doesn’t quite fall into the ‘enjoyment’ category, but it adds to the ‘ambience’ of being in rural England.
Continue reading “A Canny Ride Out”Riding along Chemotherapy Road has given me views (of life) which I had no concept of before. In a strange kind of way it’s actually enhancing my life, a bizarre view it would seem, yet one which is true.
Let me explain.
The whole ‘taking life for granted’ thing, something which is inherent in our human make up. Life carries on as we expect until it suddenly doesn’t, and then it’s a slap in the face and a wake up call, a reality check that our futures aren’t as assured as we perceive.
Six months ago I was riding across Europe with friends, motorcycling without a care in the world, other than still dealing emotionally with the loss of Rachel. Two months after getting back I started with swallowing difficulties and now I sit in the chemo department of Carlisle hospital. All my food, drink and drugs enter my body via one of two tubes, either my feeding one which is routed via my nose and throat into my stomach, or the PICC line which enters my upper right arm and is routed through a vein to somewhere near my heart.
As one of the many drugs drip from the clear plastic bags hanging from the steel ‘drip stand’ next to me, I am completely relaxed and pain free. I know that in two days time the effect of the clear liquid entering my body will not allow me to be so comfortable, however I have already experienced both the highs and lows that this toxic substance can have.
You may be surprised to read of ‘highs’? But despite the many physically challenging ‘hits’ I’ve taken, this week something happened which I’ve been longing for over the last five weeks, the ability to swallow.
To drink and eat, we never give it a second thought, until we can’t, and then another of life’s ‘taken for granted’ comes sharply into focus!
It’s hard to explain to you the pleasure of being able to swallow, but of course you know what it’s like because you’ve been doing it all your life.
I’m just viewing it differently from you.
It’s 4.09am on Saturday morning and I open the bedroom window wider to listen to the opening tweets of the birdsong. It’s yet another beauty of nature to be enjoyed by those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to hear, possibly another sense we all too much take for granted?
You may think there are better times of the day to listen to the nature but hey, I’ve been awake since 2am just thinking about stuff and actually waiting for the birds to start their conversations! Why be awake through the night? Well it happens to us all, but I’m awake and happy, happy with my lot, life is great and I’m taking in as much as I can even if it does mean a change in sleep management.
Yesterday was my final chemo for a few months, and once the minor side effects pass during the next week I intend to throw everything into the following few weeks up to the operation (possibly end of June). That means building up my fitness (I’ve already managed a slow one mile jog which felt like FIVE), I’m walking quite a bit and doing other exercises. Once all my tubes are out I might even get the bike out, should we get another day of weather like today?
Talking of tubes, my PICC line comes out on Monday, the one where I’ve been having all my chemo through, and now that I can eat normally and I’m increasing weight I hope to convince them to remove the feed tube within two weeks 🥳
The feed tube has brought other benefits than the obvious……….people.
Human nature, I’ve noticed how people’s reactions have changed towards me. My demeanour is presently one of happiness, so I generally wear a smile and I know that, as humans, we tend to mirror one another’s behaviour. Let’s face it if somebody is angry, sad, friendly, upbeat or funny in our company then we are more likely to mirror those actions. But what I’ve experienced is a marked change, and I believe it’s caused by the sight of a tube running from my backpack and into my nose. People are more courteous and friendly towards me, yes it may be brought about by an air of sympathy, but it makes for a more pleasant social environment. It’s a shame that there needs to be a visible sign to show that somebody is dealing with an obvious issue before we display an extra friendliness towards them, but we all do it, I’ve done it and will no doubt continue to.
My great friend Andy has many talents, one of which is poetry, I remember (many years ago) me getting him to read some to Burnham (Rachel’s dad), as expected Burnham thoroughly enjoyed listening to them, delivered with the timing one would expect from the poet! One or two followed the theme of us taking time to stop and stare, which I found very thought provoking even back then, but more so now.
Here is not Andy’s, but a poem of W.H.Davies written in 1911, I find it so poignant for me at this time, maybe we all should?
Leisure
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?-
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows:
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
It’s now 5.20am, the birds are quietening down so with it being daylight I’ll get up and start my daily drug and feed regime, the sooner I start my nine hour feed the sooner I can detach it and get that little more freedom.
It’s going to be yet another great day, I have friends calling but at some point I may need a nap, possibly during the Leeds v Newcastle game? Although the promise of halftime bacon butties will surely keep my interest?!
If you click on DGR it will take you to a link about what I’m doing on Sunday
