Visit by Rick

This has been the year of the visitors. And I thought it had come to an end now, but it hadn't. I got an email from my old friend Rick, who I know from my Plymouth mime exploration days. He said he wanted to come up to Wales to hike part of the Slate Trail. Could he spend the night at my place before he would set off? Of course he could!

I think the last time I saw him was 2018. That is so long ago! But he doesn't change. And I don't think I do. 

Initially he would get here around 6 pm. But then he texted that the traffic was awful, so it would be later. And then he kept sending updates that all said it would be later still. I just made sure I had food that could spend quite a while in the oven. I would just get it out when he would get here! And I lit a fire.

When he finally rolled into the street I immediately noticed one of his tires was a bit soft. And that had been what had kept him. He had noticed it was slowly deflating, so he basically had to choose between periodically re-inflating it, or changing the wheel. He had chosen the former. But that is quite a delay. He had made it, though! But he was quite fed up by now.

The culprit, the day after

I plonked him on the sofa by the fire, and served food and tea. And that revived him. And then we had the rest of the evening to catch up. He has been up to all sorts! And he spoke of it so alluringly I think I should pull my finger out and visit the southwest again. I haven't done that in ages. But there are bits of mine ready to be visited now, that weren't there when I left.

The next morning we had breakfast together, and then he got ready to start his hike. The plan had been that he would come back to fix and retrieve his car when I'm at work. So I just I hoped he’d have an amazing hike, and didn't expect to see him again. It didn't quite work out like that.

The Saturday was windy but sunny. Fine hiking weather! Unfortunately, this Sunday was miserable and wet. And around lunchtime I got another message. Was it okay if he came back and spent another night my place? And of course it was. And by dinner time that day he was standing in front of the door again. He thought it would be better if he would take his boots off right there, and he was wringing out his socks. I could see why he had decided to knock the hike on the head. I again did my routine of blanking him on a comfortable seat and providing warm food and tea. And he filled the conservatory with damp gear.

He had had a great Saturday! But the Sunday was just too much of a washout to be enjoyable. He was glad he had come over, though. 

The next morning I had to leave for work quite early. After the tiring day he had had the day before, he hadn't stirred yet when I closed the door behind me. But I'm sure he could find what he needed to have a comfortable morning.

Later I got another text from him. He had suffered an additional puncture on the way home! This was just not a very good weekend for his tyres. But in the end he got there. With a bunch of good memories…