Epic Butterfly Walk!

[ChrisC]

well you better get your skates on...... or does that come under transport said tongue in cheek, you know i'm rooting for the pair of ya.

Chris

[sami]

Was a really long and tough day today, got serious shin pain Got some exercises to strengthen it and it's just something I'm going to have to walk through. HOWEVER - I have the best mum in the world who joined us at a campsite last night, provided dinner, brekkie and lunch, ferried our bags to today's destination and has just put us up in a guest house for the night! It makes such a huge difference to have a bed for the night and no bags to carry, it really does. Most people who do LEJOG do it staying in guest houses every night and just carry daypacks - must be so easy for them! Just simple things like washing, sleeping, laundry etc are so much easier when you're not in a tent, and obviously camping makes our packs so much heavier. Although saying that, it does make the challenge seem more genuine in a way.
So, good mileage, well fed, washed and an actual BED for the night. Paradise!!

[ChrisC]

enjoy your luxury guys. you deserve it.

[David M]

Whereabouts are you now, Sami?

[Padfield]

I'm following your trek with pride. I know just what it's like to sleep in a bed after weeks roughing it and can imagine you purring like a cat on a hot water bottle.

These are memories that will shape the rest of your life.

Good luck!

Guy

[sami]

We're in Wales! WE''VE WALKED FROM LAND'S END TO WALES!!!  

[David M]

We're in Wales! WE''VE WALKED FROM LAND'S END TO WALES!!!  

Presume you're now following the Offa's Dyke trail?

[dave brown]

We're in Wales! WE''VE WALKED FROM LAND'S END TO WALES!!!

Well done to you both. A good milestone to achieve. It seems like you are now doing serious mileage. Pity the weather is not better as it always makes a walk so much more enjoyable.

Dave

[Jack Harrison]

Have you worked out your average miles/day? Or put it another way, how far to date in how many days and how far left to go? ie, what is the estimated arrival date? (give or take a month or two )

Jack

[sami]

Hello all!
We've quit Wales - the Offa's dyke was gorgeous for the two days we were on it (highlights - otter down to ten feet and singing firecrest) - and have rejoined the less interesting but more direct minor roads. We relocated 5 orange tip larvae from a patch of garlic mustard that had been sprayed with herbicide and had curled up and gone yellow, we walked them two miles to more suitable habitat, hopefully they hadn't already ingested too much poison
Today is our one month anniversary on the road!
Briefly diverted to Hereford a&e to get advice and medicine for my leg which is still very painful but is improving with walking poles, ibuprofen and shoe inserts.
Got a free night in a private holiday cottage last night thanks to another generous stranger!
Weather has been poor recently and butterfly sightings few and far between, just the occasional White. But luckily we haven't been flooded out!
We've passed through Monmouthshire, Herefordshire and are now in Shropshire heading towards Whixall Moss for Polydama, just passed trough Ludlow.
Best wishes to all
Sami and Seth x

[Pete Eeles]

Keep up the good work both. I've been following you on Facebook and have nothing but admiration. Truly inspiring.

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

Hopefully your passing by of Whixall Moss will coincide with the Large Heath flight period.

You've done so well to get this far. Respect.

[Gibster]

Well, despite YET MORE torrential downpours, high winds and generally rubbish weather...we've made it to Wigan in one piece. We're taking a canal route northwards to Kendal as the next leg of our journey. Sami's leg finally stopped giving her pain just 4 days ago (poor girl, a whole month suffering agonising shin-splints. We're both extremely relieved it has finally cleared up) so we plan to pick up the pace somewhat from here onwards.

We arrived at Whixall on a day of horizontal rain so delayed moving on until the following day, by very happy coincidence Rogerdodge and his lovely wife were heading homewards from their Scottish adventure and we briefly met up to gawp at his amazing photos. Jealous? Naaaaah....a'hem!

Whixall the following day was dull and decidedly cool. Unsurprisingly we failed to see any Large Heaths (my polydama curse continues....) and White-faced Darter also eluded us. A noisy family party of Willow Tits was a surprise bonus and a new species for Sami. A couple of days later the sun appeared and we added our first Ringlet and Large Skippers to our trip list. Common Blues seem massively down, we've seen just a handful in seemingly ideal habitat. Peacocks and Commas have made a welcome return, but we haven't seen an adult Orange-tip for some ten days now.

Right now it's bucketing down once more. We've nipped into a library to dry out (!) but packing away a wet tent and getting back into a wet tent whilst being rained upon is becoming just a tad tedious. A newspaper heading caught our eye - rain until September. You gotta be kiddin' me?!?!?

We've been in regular contact with Butterfly Conservation throughout. Today we received an e-interview in readiness of a full-size article in the autumn edition of Butterfly. It would be amazing to raise some more money for the cause (hint hint!!!) so if you haven't already donated, please would you consider doing so as soon as possible. Every couple of quid helps, we're not asking for your life savings!!! And many thanks to everybody who already has kindly donated, either via the justgiving site or via text.

Here's hoping for some dry weather, good butterfly numbers and lots more donations from ALL of you lovely people (and your friends, family, beer buddies, neighbours...)

Seth & Sami.

[ScottD]

Hi Seth & Sami,

Any idea how long until you hit the border? I'll try & rally our D&G subgroup to the cause.
& when you get to "NORTH LANARKSHIRE - Kilsyth: EAST DUMBARTONSHIRE - Kirkintilloch, Balmore, Milngavie" I can probably lend a hand with shuttling kit & maybe even a beer ...
Hope that you remembered your midge repellent

[Rogerdodge]

I know that Seth and Sami are having problems uploading photos to this website whilst on the move.
So I have taken the liberty of posting these two for them.
They are really doing well, and deserve our support.

[sami]

Thanks Roger!
Scottd - we should be over the border in about ten days but may have company as my brother and his wife intend to join us walking for 3 days at the beginning of July. My phonenumber is 07800817027 - send us a text and we can keep you up to date with our plans. Any help/cheering on/beer/bag ferrying/company etc is always very welcome!
Cheers guys
We're hitting Lancaster tonight!
Sami

[sami]

Well...
It's taken 45 days to get here but we're officially halfway!
And a month of that was with almost crippling shin splints so now we're going much faster
Carnforth is our halfway point, and we'll be in Cumbria by tonight!
Also in breaking news...
A man we don't know who heard about our walk in Butterfly magazine today donated an incredible £250 to our justgiving page! Which has really excited and thrilled us!! How amazing.
And over the last 2 days we have seen 80+ small tortoiseshells almost exclusively feeding on Hemlock Water-dropwort along the beautiful Lancaster canal. Plus several large skippers, speckled woods, red admirals and peacocks. But no blues...
Best wishes to all.
Today is a good day!!
Sami

[Jack Harrison]

...donated an incredible £250...

Cripes. The Two Grand * I have already given looks a bit mean now.

Jack

* pence

[ScottD]

Hi Sami & Seth

Hope you don't mind but I've passed your no. on to the chair of our Dumfries & Galloway sub-group & asked if she can perhaps try to raise some support for you as you travel through their part of our branch area.
I'll keep watching your progress & be in touch when you get a bit nearer me.
I've also fired off an email to BC Scotland's office as a reminder for them & am trying to see if somebody in Highland branch can similarly stir up the locals

Hope that the weather improves for you (well, for all of us really).

P.S. DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY - Gretna, Annan, Lochmaben, Moffat, Sanquhar - I take it that you meant Dumfries rather than Moffat? If so & the weather is nice then a small detour to the BC Reserve at Mabie Forest might be worth it?

[Rogerdodge]

They are now in the Lakes.
Brilliant
and don't they look fit!