ONE WEEK TO GO

Just when you think you are on top of everything, something crops up to disrupt the planning. Nothing to do with the North America trip itself, it's just that my central heating boiler has a problem and I can get any hot water. British Gas have been called, but if it doesn't get fixed before I go then it will just have to wait until I get back. I won't be needing heat or hot water while I am away anyway.

I have been keeping up the walking over the past few weeks, including two 15 mile sections of the South Downs Way with musicians 'John Jones and the Reluctant Ramblers' (see their blog), and a challenge walk of 100km (62.5 miles) to help raise funds to maintain Shedfield Old Church Tower, which aside from being an historic building, provides a home for bats. Starting at 10.00am on Saturday 8th June, I followed a circular route around Hampshire, walking through the night, to get back to the start point early on Sunday morning, having completed the walk in 20 hrs 28 mins. I slept most of the remaining weekend and my feet still ache. I'll be fine for next Monday's flight though.

ME, IN FRONT OF THE OLD CHURCH TOWER

ONE MONTH TO GO

It is exactly 4 weeks before I leave for the USA, and most of the preparations are complete. The hardest task has been to work out a route that would take me to all the places I wished to visit and determine the start and finish times for the tour. That done, my Atlantic flights and accommodation in New York have been booked. Now it's time to make sure I have all the gear I need to take, bearing in mind that it all has to fit in a rucksack.

MOSCOW DRUG CLUB AT DARTMOUTH

In the mean time, I did manage to spend a long weekend in Dartmouth, Devon, to enjoy the annual music festival. The accompanying picture shows Moscow Drug Club performing at the bandstand.