Walk On The Moor, 2of 6-True and Imagined

[21QUEST]

By HD aka Jim Mc Cafferty


My FIRST Walk on The Moor - Part 2
True and Imagined

When Paddy and myself first alighted on The Moor side of "The Style" I found her ground welcoming and befriending, "The softness of the moss its depth of caress dependant on the rainfall in that particular day/week" From where I stood, "Aged 7" I coud see the tops of, "The Campsie Fells" one peak in particular stood out, I promised myself one day I would stand atop of that peak!!! And many years in the future I did, coursing the blue mountain hare with the noble Lurcher.

For the present what lay before Paddy and I was wilderness enough for a child and a raw pup, "Even today if I close my eyes I can visualise Paddy looking back regularly for the child who shared both his mind and heart. The peat channels, "Which today I can litterally skip over" seemed then like The Grand Canyon, Paddy constantly jumping back to and fro seemingly asking, What are you waiting for boy?

I recall the sapling thorn bushes, "Which today stand as mature bushes whos thorns are as unforgiving as the executioners axe" They stood on the pathway which Paddy and I would traverse a zillion times in the coming 7 years. I must admit it crossed my mind to destroy those bushes of pain and blood. I recalled one time whilst walking with Grandfather I was stung by nettles, "My reaction to destroy that which had caused me pain" As was the way Grandfather stopped me diverting my rage in the direction of another clump of nettles, Butterflies hovered around those nettles seeking sustainance from the well gaurded plant. I was told that ALL things are here for a reason, and if you are prepared to open your eyes and mind those reason WILL sooner or later become apparent to you. "Didn't bloody help the stinging in my legs lol " In years to come I fully understood Grandfathers words although it took a lot more stings, "Not necessarily from nettles" before the penny eventually dropped.

For the next 7 years I had no need to read Tom Sawyer, "I was Tom Sawyer and Paddy Huckleberry Finn *ummm2* or should that be the other way around?

To be continued,