Jo’s Monday walk : A walk for Sue

‘Hello! You look interesting’.

Hard not to smile at such a nosy sheep. All his friends were busy devouring the lush green stuff. He wasn’t exactly skinny so he must have eaten his share and was feeling conversational. Me, I didn’t have anything better to do. I’d left the house feeling just a bit grumpy. Walking the same lanes over and again, albeit in a different sequence, really didn’t suit. But then I began to look around me.

Blossom in the trees, rich wonderful hues, with sunlight filtering through them. Sky, the merriest shade of blue. Grass as green as you’ll ever see, the first poppies just beginning to nod. A time to go hunting in the shade for tiny, compelling wild orchids, the birds all a-twitter as I make my discoveries. And I know how very lucky I am.

  • Tender orange blossom
  • That first poppy
  • Wild trailing gladioli
  • The fragrance bursting forth

For there is a lady who my heart goes out to. Her time on this earth has been brutally curtailed, and yet she faces each day with warmth, grace and humour. Sue Vincent is an extraordinary lady. Each morning I tiptoe into my Reader to check that there is another post, for her days are surely numbered. A writer with great charisma and insight, she has taken me on many beautiful journeys in the short time I have known her. I have found myself tramping across moorland, touching with awe the standing stones that entrance her, and poking around in quiet village churches. I don’t even know if she’s been to my lovely Algarve, but I feel compelled to share, in her honour, some of the beauty that surrounds me.

  • Sunlight and shade
  • A wild orchid jewel
  • Lilac wisteria
  • The fortress
  • And village church, Cacela Velha

I sadly have to amend this post today because lovely Sue lost her battle. I can only say what a privilege and an honour it was to share this space with her. My thoughts are with her family and loved ones. RIP, beautiful soul.

walking logo

The links are few this week and I would not normally be posting a walk, but I think you’d understand if you met Sue.

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Sometimes us walkers bite off more than we can chew. I think Graham was relieved to get home after this :

Hilina Pali Trail loop

Fancy getting clarty ? Jude has the very place!

A Riverside Walk – Noonvares

LadyLee has a much more relaxing pastime in mind :

Puzzle number 21 – Birds

Carol has some stories told on stone that I feel Sue would love, in a completely amazing place :

Story Tellers

And Mel never runs out of energy!

Exploring the Sydney Coastline – Bondi to Manly Path – Stage 4, Darling Point to Kirribilli

Have a happy week! It’s all out there, just waiting for you.

164 comments

  1. Inspiring story, that Sue. I had a look at her website. Thanks for sharing. Also: some lovely pictures here on your blog. I particularly like the ones taken above the shoreline and the one of the village church.

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  9. Jo, a beautiful post and it’s very thoughtful of you to dedicate this Sue, a remarkable lady whose wisdom only seems to have grown deeper these last few months. Her writings are incredibly profound, through her words I see my own view of the world adjust, my thoughts and emotions turned on their head.

    The beauty surrounding you is an absolute joy – the colours are striking and it looks warm! Maybe the sheep is asking for some of the wool to be removed!

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  11. Hi Jo, I have recently met Sue, through the eyes of the blogging/writing community. She is obviously well-loved and makes a positive difference in everyone’s life. You are right, difficult not to smile at this very cute and nosy sheep. The blossoms are gorgeous and thriving in your area. A poignant and beautiful post.❤️

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    1. Sad to have to remind yourself how fleeting it all is, Erica. I look forward to reading her posts each morning, to see where she’s going to take me. And yes, we have beauty to spare here. 🙂 🙂 Thank you!

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  12. Beautiful post Jo and a warm touching sentiment to dedicate all of this beauty, love and hope to Sue. She’s an amazing writer that I met many years ago here. I wish her nothing but the best. xxx

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  13. Yeahh, your first poppy! It looks exactly like my firstborn which I found and showed yesterday. Today I found the second one, still to unfold, and the third but no more than that. I love it how they progress to fields of red. And yes, I feel the same about my never-changing dog walking routes: maddening but then I notice how pretty it is around here. And thank you to the introduction to Sue. I found her post on dog love. It is hard to match.

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  14. Lovely photos as always Jo, your walks are so nice. Sue is a truly inspirational lady isn’t she? She comes across as so positive, upbeat and realistic in the midst of the sad path she is on.

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      1. We’ve all got different wishes and issues though haven’t we? I’m currently sulking because I want a bacon sandwich!

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  15. Thanks for the share/link, Jo. I wish I never ran out of energy, but I run out of puff like the best of them. The important thing is to keep getting back up and doing it all over again. Thanks for your fragrant walk. All those blossoms must be heavenly. Melx

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      1. Will do…I’m still wearing mask however. 2 California variants and UK strain has replaced the old one in my county. Cases are starting slowly in California but not as fast yet as other states. I guess it’s still smell the roses with a mask for me.

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  18. Good to hear the sunshine & friendly sheep managed to chase the grumps away. Some days it is hard to muster some enthusiasm to get & up & move but once we do, we find ourselves feeling a wee bit better.💕

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  19. A lovely post for Sue – you are such a lovely lady yourself, Jo! I truly enjoyed all the flowers and sheep – and yes, we all need flowers. Thank you for sending us some, Jo.

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    1. The sky and sea are as blue as they can be, darlin. We just spent a lovely morning walking with friends and then takeaway lunch here. I’m not the best cook and the small businesses here need it. So little it takes to make us happy 🤗💕

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