Walking with a purpose

 

I have been pacing back and forth today across Minehead beach, trying to get my phone to see it's own GPS co ordinates. Which if it works will take the storywalks in to the next phase, the concept is simple, use the browser in the mobile phone, with a little php coding along side the geolocation API then it all should come together. Now did you follow that? humm me neither, I kind of understand it but I can't write it so Mr Joiner has put his magic code jockey head into it and created a little page for me to test.

It works on his phone, and I shall try the iPad tomorrow, but my android which is only 16 months old or so is not up to the task. Apparently in mobile phone terms that puts it in the Paleocene era around the time that sea weed appeared (guessing there so don't correct me there is no need!)

The iPad is a bit newer and we'll see if it can cut the mustard, so if you see a lost soul on the sands staring mournfully into the sky searching for satellites! then its only me, testing again. But if the concept works then it will release the storywalks and make them accessible to many more people in a far easier way. With just one URL link I should be able to get people ready to walk, and no apps with files inside (what a headache that's been)

Anyway, I'll keep you posted if I haven't walked over the channel to Wales!

Have you taken your Tablets?

The next walks I will be authoring will 'go large' to coin a phrase, the images have always been important to the journey of a storywalk but I find it is only the narrator (the one reading it out to the group) who gets to see these. Having been the narrator quite a few times I am always very focused on the text and working the words to flow and not really paying that much attention to the pictures. I expect all of those reading the stories are focused in much the same way and so the images kind of fall by the way side, so to counter act this I have been working at up-ing the image size. How better to do this than with an iPad, big images for all to see as the narrator reads on.

This is where you pray that your fairy godmother will weave a little magic, or that those allotment runner beans really are magic and can provide all the tools you'll need, but when does that ever happen! Well in a way it has, as I've received a little help in this respect for my creative development from Somerset Art Works and their Creative Pathways Project. My walks are free, open and accessible to all who make the effort, and I even loan my precious Garmin to families to do the walks on trust.

Thankfully the worst that has happened is that it comes back a little chocolaty from kids fingers! I receive no revenue at all from the walks, nor did I receive any for their creation, they are there, because I had to make them for me. The sharing with family, then friends, then everyone came in steps, but still they are free. So when I kind of get some recognition for them in this way I am bowled over and a little a loss for words. 

So thanks to 'Creative Pathways' I can now take the next step in the evolution of my storywalks, pepping them up into a larger mobile format. Their funding has helped me invest in an iPad, which is fabulous, next step is to prise it away from my children who think it's theirs! 

So I must knuckle down and get some delicious images to marry with a new tale along side a location that delights, but here in Somerset I have so many choices. Pass me the sketch pad I need to make a few notes.

Easter walkers of the Winding Charm

The Dunster walk the Winding Charm is always popular over the Easter break especially with the spring harvest at Butlins. Here are a few of the walkers comments.

ChillyPenguine -
Our very first Whereigo cache. Camping at Blue Anchor for the week, so would be rude to not at least try this out. We have visited Dunster before but nothing more than the castle and main street, so it was lovely to be taken to such interesting places. A lovely, well thoughtout story, though our 4 year old did look at us a bit oddly with some of the things we asked him to do! Cache was a nice easy find, though on Easter Sunday we didn't exactly pick a quiet day to retrieve it!

 Dingdongmerrily -
 I hadn't tried one of these before........but oh what fun and it was a shame the weather changed over the next few days as Inglis3 and myself had hoped to get out and do some others in the area. THanks for the effort to create this and showing us some lovely places in this lovely village. Great fun!!

Inglis3 -
This is the first of these wherigo caches I have done. Out with Dingdongmerrily to do it, she had the gps so I did the actions.......... A very enjoyable walk around the village on a sunny day, whilst we escaped from Butlins - attending Spring Harvest

Dunster has been very busy this Easter which is great to see but it does make it difficult retrieving and then re hiding the little book to sign. Thankfully people are usually so busy with the village they don't notice some one fiddling in the flower beds as if looking in their bag. But for me the best bit is heading out on a cold stormy night, checking the hidey hole and retrieving the log book. I then head inside, prop my feet up by a log fire and read the notes with a pint. Looks like with such a recent amount of activity I should head out sooner than later for that pint!