The Best things in life are free!

Well the forecast was torrential rain, so to look out the window   and see blue sky and sunshine was a bonus. Months ago my daughter and husband registered to do a sponsored cycle ride for the National Autistic society. Way back then we hadn’t appreciated we would be on holiday the week before and my daughter would have just gone back to school. Planning therefore, to say the least, had not been great. The day before she had no sponsors and we couldn’t remember the starting time or indeed where it started. It didn’t help that the internet was down and we couldn’t check.

As my husband wheeled the bikes out the garage he noticed my daughter’s bike had a puncture so there was a mad rush to borrow a bike so that they could get to the ride for ten o’clock  which was, I thought, the starting time,

Fortunately my memory was correct. Off they set to complete the round trip of 13 miles, taking in the coast road, the country lanes of the Furness peninsula. Furness Abbey and back to the start for bacon butties.

I met them half way. They were having a great time and discussing plans to cycle more now that my husband has retired. I reflected on how such a simple past time could bring so much pleasure. Families were out together in the fresh air, keeping fit and raising money for people less privelidged than themselves and it cost them nothing but a few hours of their time.

It is so easy to assume that exciting activities have to cost money. When we were in Portugal last week, we enquired about the cost of going to the water park. For the five of us it would have cost more than £100. We opted instead to go down to the beach where the children rode the breakers and were washed up onto the shore by their strength. The waves, said my daughter, were so much better that the simulated waves at the water parks they had visited in Florida. The scenery was captivating too!

It’s the time of year when dog walking goes hand in hand with blackberrying too. I’ve spent the last couple of days filling plastic boxes for freezing and picking plums and damsons from the trees, all of which are free and will remind us of the warm days of Autumn for many months to come.