I decided that Friday's jaunt to Nuthurst and Soutwater hadn't been enough exercise, so I went off on another hike yesterday [I had the day off because it was my birthday] and also do some caches in the Bewbush/Ifield area of Crawley; taking in the old mill ruins and pond at Bewbush, Ifield mill and pond and the 13th century church at Ifield were also visited.

From there I went on to Lambs Green; no I didn't get chance to stop at the pub there [or on any of the routes], before making my way back to Horsham via yet more unmapped paths; 15 miles in all.

Many people I said hello to durimg the day mentioned that it was unusually warm for May; more like July, they said. Certainly, it was very warm. Even at 08:00 yesterday it was warmer than I normally prefer for walking.

I saw loads of wildlife; rabbits, deer, herons, geese, ducks, yet more swallows had arrived and were wheeling and swooping in the sky whilst feeding on flying insects. I also picked up an unwanted hitch-hiker on this walk; a tick!

In all the years I have been walking/rambling and even as a child in the countryside of the Isle of Wight I had never been bitten by one before. Luckily I spotted it quite quickly and managed to remove it before it had gorged itself on my blood!