Cotswold Way and Thames River Path 2025

All items are chosen for weight (used a kitchen scale to compare ounces of some items), size, multiple uses, small containers such as toothpaste which can be discarded after empty. I shall wear a set of gently used older clothes for the travel days, which will be discarded once in Chipping Camden. Top left: Hyperlite Southwest backpack. It is one giant open space which I shall put a pack liner into plus everything will be packed into ziplock plastic bags. No need for a rain cover. Top right: Osprey pack cover for flight. Shoes: Hoka (they look like Clown shoes to me, but they feel the best of all the variations tried out this Spring) with PowerStep insoles. Black Clarks which will be abandoned at the end. They IKEA day backpack which folds into its own pocket. This will be my carry-on luggage. LEKI trekking poles (thank you Olivia and Joe). Cap: Parapack which folds into tiny size. Shirts: two sleeveless, one t-shirt, two long sleeves. Bottoms: two long leggings, one skort. Light weig...

 3 weeks from today the new walking adventure will begin with a plane ride or two. Received 'Graduation T-Shirt' from physical therapy (thank you Devin) - plantar fasciitis feels like history. Both Knees injected with cortisone in anticipation.  No problems in the past with this treatment, but this time there appeared to be an allergic reaction where 3-4 days later broke out in a horrible painful itching rash.  Visit to Urgent Care and meds. Final 'graduation' from Orthopedics for broken scapular, still not fully mended, but the process has begun, and there is no pain. Cortisone injection into left heel. All was going well, except that suddenly one day in the last week the left knee developed a new pain behind in the 'fatty' part.  Back to hobbling.  Trying out K-T tape and knee brace.  Refuse to return to see a doctor.  Feel like I am falling apart. Figured out and purchased train ticket from London Heathrow to Morton-in-Marsh, the nearest train stop ...

 Today, Wednesday June 4, was the day originally scheduled for the flight to Glasgow, Scotland to begin hiking the West Highland Way followed by the Great Glen Way.  😢 😢 Sadly 4.5 weeks ago there was that nighttime encounter with the steps, and all those plans had to be scrapped due to the injuries received.   At this point today the eye wound does not hurt at all, the areas stitched up are not so visible as wounds (at least I am seeing they are not so prominent).  The shoulder just aches.  Still wear the sling.  I have been careful with the arm, but am using it more each day.   I have now 'practiced' carried a day backpack for 3 days with a single bath towel in it as there is a need to see how much weight it can manage without causing discomfort.   Kind of frustrating to deal with the shoulder along with the ongoing plantar fasciitis (going to P.T weekly, thanks Devin).  Slowly trying to up the walking distance around FLAT S...