Wednesday, 1 July 2015

New blindsimming expedition 1st July 2015


As I wrote last time, Chris is persuading me to do my 'bird-watching (!)' blind-simming outing alone, now that my friendly 'guide' has gone to Australia for six months. Chris is going to do the route with me, one morning each week for a few (four perhaps) times, bus ride and all, to persuade me it is achievable and safe, and allow me to practise (blindsimming of course as before) and get confident to do it all on my own.



So, the first attempt took place last week.

He picked me up at home early in the morning, after husband had gone off to his office in London, of course. Needless to say with a few changes to the plan.

To get me into the right frame of mind, he blindfolded me with my scarf for the car journey. I have to take a travel-sickness pill, a 'Kwell' for these longer journeys which is ok but does make me sleepy. Of course, I know the first part which I travel by train by myself before going 'blind' and I was awake enough to guide him to the usual spot where I do normally, as this time, put on my blacked out wrap-around dark glasses, take out my foldable white stick and then find my way to the bus-stop at the right time to catch the bus.

This is the point where the plan changed. Jos waited in the car long enough to see that I got onto the bus, then drove off at speed, parked in the village where I usually got off, there being no parking space at the point where we were going to meet up again. He then ran (!) out of the village and managed to get to this next bus stop before the bus, with me, arrived there.

I had explained to the bus driver that I wanted to go beyond my usual stop to the next stop and to give me a shout, please, when we got there. He did just that, came and helped me off and asked if the man waiting there was the one I expected as he wasn't the usual one who met me in the village. I explained that all was in order and off he drove. We were on a different day to my usual trips but the bus drivers seem to have got to know me now after quite a few years of me doing this trip.

It was a lovely sunny morning as Chris walked me (still blindsimming) slowly up this road to the reservoir, telling me what was there, I walking on his left next to the verge, counting steps approximately, listening carefully to his description of any features – farm entrance on the right halfway, etc - and imagining it all as we went, then back down again, I again on that same verge, now on his right. All seemed straightforward enough, certainly not many people around on this route.

Then came the snag which may abort the whole plan – what to do on return to the end of the lane, now having to cross the busy country road to the bus stop for going back. Easy in the village before as my bird-watching friend dropped at the returning bus stop in the village and at the right time for a bus back to the railway station. But this last week Chris left me near the bus stop, ran back into the village, got his car, came back and picked me up. Only a ten minute or so wait. I went on with him then and I spent a nice afternoon in the town where he was holding his meeting. Not blindsimming any longer, regrettably.

We are going to do it again this week and think about the road crossing so I will keep you informed.

Jane.

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