Nearly at Bude!

Hi all,
Today was a horrid day! Very windy, very stingy rain and a very scary bit of path down into Duckpool - even Milo backed himself between my legs and said 'no way'. After the walk, of course, the sun came out! Yesterday was great; walked to Morwenstow from Welcombe. Met a great guy called Mark, a Marine, who is walking from Barnstaple to Plymouth in 12 days. Met up with him in Bude later on and he said he'd try to meet up with us in Plymouth when we get there. He seemed to think that 99 days of nonstop walking was a bit amazing, but you should have seen the size of the pack he was carrying on his back!!! He said if he could get his pack sent on to Newquay then he could run for the first 20 - 30 miles today. We just gasped in awe.
Saw a snail on the path yesterday and thought about waiting for it to cross before continuing on our way but then realised the snail was in fact slithering along the path in the same direction as us and to let him go first may have held us up for months if not years, so made a quick overtaking manoeuvre when he wasn't looking and kept to our schedule. Yesterday, you see, we had a very important place to visit. We saw a brown sign the other day and followed it, only to discover that the place didn't open til yesterday, so yesterday we went - to the Gnome Reserve!
Wonderful wacky place. Visitors are requested to wear a hat from an assortment provided, so we did of course, and then walked around the reserve - gnomes everywhere. Back to the house for sandwiches and coffee and then a walk around the wild flower garden to count fairies amongst other things. A really great place to visit for a total escape and to meet a very lovely lady who also happens to be a very talented artist too.
The last two days walking were the hardest so far and with todays weather thrown into the mix, very hard work. Neither of us enjoyed the walk itself much today, but there's a wonderful sense of achievement in having done it in spite of everything.
Forgot to mention, saw Hawkers Hut yesterday, built by Reverend Hawker and now the smallest property owned by the National Trust. Talked to a nice couple there with their dog Jeeves. Being a sunday and sunny there were loads of people out on the path yesterday.
Came across another hut too, even more special than Hawkers, I think. It belonged to a poet and playwrite, Ronald Duncan. His daughter rebuilt the hut and it stays unlocked for people to visit and read about Mr Duncan. There was a box on the floor containing lots of books with a simple notice on 'Please help yourself to one of Ronald Duncans books'. We brought Charlotte a copy of his collected poems and what a poet he was.
Isn't it about time we had some company for a spell, or are you all waiting for better weather? Can't say I blame anyone for that.
Think this is the dogs favourite campsite - we go to Widemouth Bay to give them a run early evening and they just run and run, even Treacle. Mac remembered how he surfed at Sandy Beach and tried it here - much bigger waves and so much more fun for him but a very wet car later on!
Speaking of the car, Gertie, she is turning into a work of art on the inside. I bought Charlie some fabric pens and the roof lining is slowly being covered with thoughts, images and impressions of places we've seen. Should be quite something by the end.
Well, think thats about all folks.
Time for a game of Uno with Charlie and Roz (evening entertainment is somewhat limited)
Take care all of you,
Susan x