Location: somewhere along the road running parallel to the west side of the highway heading south from Mai Po.

As I arrived at the ‘funeral parlour’, with a crippled Moonie in tow, who only came for the dirge, the runners were gathered and itching to set off.  After quickly donning my upper decker flopper stopper and such, I jogged down the road to find… Moonie but no pack. Everyone had been sent off on their merry bloody way and I was alone. “Oh, don’t worry, that frog said he would wait but we told him you would catch up, so he started walking.” said Dingers the hare and Moonie. Cheers guys, not! The thing is, I love the night runs but hate the dark! Especially when I’m alone! Eeeeeeeeek!!!

Nevertheless, I shot off in hope of catching Flo or anyone that would make a better sacrifice should I happen to come across any death eaters.  This feat shouldn’t have been so bad, but an unmarked check threw me away from that hope.  As I wound along little concrete paths with a few dogs woofing behind their fences, I came to a check that sent me through a gate into a wooded area with a few graves. Ploughing on in hope of hearing runners, there was a road winding around the back of a villa sending us then along a culvert onto more graves and lots of rustling……crap,  crap,  crap! !!!!  Golden Balls and Golden Jelly had obvious plans for hanging at the back, quick roll in the hay in a grave area on the hill. Hurry along TD! Leave them to fulfil their fantasy!

Trail then meandered up the grassy hillside to the top, and the rustling and whinging of… the GM!  I plodded on diagonally down the hillside to the adjoining hill, hearing shouts from Serbian like “You short cutting bastard!”  Ahem, “I’m on trail and calling but you ain’t following the call so sod off!” I politely replied.😇

A trig point up ahead, and a skiddy, gravelled, bushy, steep, downhill track (lots of adjectives for the ed), led us onto a dark, quiet road going somewhere. Still no sign of Flo,  he seems to be an FRB wannabee. I had heard him up the hill but he must’ve hopped off faster knowing more poms were bring up the rear.

Anyway, the road went on, and on, and on. Then a road split and an unmarked check. Bah humbug! Bloody FRBs not marking again!!!  So on I carried along the road, eventually arriving at a military camp… gulp!  No trail so far, so trailing back there was another split… nothing… almost back at the check… Serbian plods along saying “This way!”  Looking at the check with a rubber car mat on it, I could only presume that the two next people I met, hanging outside a yard, had played silly buggers and messed with our markings. Grrrrrrrrr. Ching Chong China Man has a lot to answer for. So I had a companion for a moment, then ran off on my merry way, happy to be on trail.

Golden Jelly and GB were up ahead, wobbling along the top of a concrete embankment of a shallow culvert, where at the end we crossed through a yard of dogs onto a main road running parallel to the highway. Must be almost on home, I thought. Markings were hard to see throughout, and GB and KY caught up again as I pondered. “Let’s go this way, along the soon-to-be new cycle track, it’s much more interesting than a road.” says GB, leading his lemmings astray. And just like lemmings,  we gladly followed, happy to get off of the concrete!

I had waited for Golden Jelly to alert her to the diversion, then ran on to catch up with GB, who was oblivious to any sound other than the pounding of his huge feet on the dried, muddy terrain. GB slowed to a walk at which point I spoke. “Keep going or move over!” were the words that caused poor GB to yell in fear and jump out of his skin. Highly amusing, and that happened a few times! Nervous old bean!

After a race to the bucket, we were welcomed to the arms of the pack where the circle shortly began. Plenty of shit was thrown in, none of which I can remember except Moonie being done for locking me outside in our yard with the dogs to kill a ginormous Samuel Whiskers rat! Such a brave ex-commando, Moonie!

Thanks for a great run Dingaling.

On On – Tangerine Dream🍊☁