Deborah Clarke

Day 18: sunday 18 october 2026

Hi everyone, Wow, what a wonderful day today was. I started off with my beautiful sister, my partner our dog Macey and my sister‘s dog ‘Razz’ and did our familiar walk now around our Yarra Glen reserve and track, leaving home at 0630. An hour + later, we then went out with Dad and his dog Taz and did the normal doggy walk, so all our dog pack could see each other. We had our normal morning coffee out and finally got home after only doing 1.6 k/m ‘s, arriving home two hours plus later. 😄🐾🐾 In the beautiful Spring afternoon, we had an early afternoon barbecue and ate, drank and were merry for many many hours. Considering I’d been awake since 0430 this morning, (not really knowing why l was awake from that time onwards) it’s been a long day but it’s all good…. and I’m still not really tired. Go figure? 🤔 I must be becoming used to extending my walking time & distance, & genuinely ‘feeling so much better for it’. 👏🏼😉 Anyway, it’s a workday tomorrow. The coldsores won’t make me feel inconspicuous….but hopefully, it’s the start of a better weather week, & certainly, a healthier week for me….considering the last week 2 weeks…… I am truly feeling better, more alive, and alert from this walking, and I have the beloved encouragement and motivation from my beautiful sister that is helping me succeed on this journey. I am feeling very blessed. 🙏 I hope everyone else is doing okay and learning lots about themselves, whilst we undertake this great adventure for such a special cause. Tomorrow is the‘first day of the rest of our lives’. Be kind, be grateful and laugh. 🥰 Share

Day: saturday 17 october 2026

Hi everyone. Well, I don’t really know what I think about this past week…. 🫪 My walking efforts have been thwarted, not by weather, but by sickness. I must be very rundown. Why, l honestly can’t say. My week, always begins on a Monday - Sunday, & my walk last Monday, l felt a little tired. Tuesday came , & I was feeling unwell. Runny nose 👃, fatigue, headachey (is that a word?), & by Wednesday, I had a full on cold. 🤧😷 I took Thursday off work but went in on Friday. Unfortunately, l had another unrelated medical issue that required me to come home after only one hour! Thank goodness I work in a medical practice, & my doctor thought it best. Now , we come to today, I wake up to find l have a whole lip covered in clusters of cold sores. WT?? 😫 The good news is, I did walk today and feel so much better for having pushed myself to do it. 👏🏼😉 My true incentive now, (apart from accomplishing my journey with what we’re all trying to do for the Black Dog Institute this month…), is that my sister, her husband and their doggy baby, have moved back to Melbourne permanently, and are staying with Dad on the same property my partner and our animals also live on. They are truly inspirational, motivated & driven people, and encouragement has always been a big part of my sister’s support for me. She has always been there for me….my whole life, & she’s younger than me. (*She gifts me with praise that l’ve been there for her too. She is my rock. ❤️) Well, tomorrow will be here soon enough and another beautiful day will begin. 🌻 Share

Day 12: monday 12 october 2026

Hi everyone. I forgot to log my little doggy walk on Saturday… so l just did that. It it wasn’t much but we know it all adds up. I know I have a long way to go but I’m not under deterred or worried. 😌 I thoroughly enjoyed my walk tonight, but I must remember that it is spring, (even in Victoria…4️⃣ seasons in one day…well today, there was 3️⃣) brrrr in am / sunshine ☀️ in early arvo…& somewhere in between we had some rain 🌧️…), thus walking in a jumper and a sleeveless puffer jacket didn’t do much for my perspiration retardation. 🤪😅 Again , my partner, Wade and my best girlfriend ‘Miss Macey Mae Dog’ 🐾🐾 and I went down to our local Yarra Glen reserve and completed our walk. The tranquility there, the rabbits 🐇 teasing us to chase them, & seem to be in abundance this year… Macey wasn’t having any of it. Tired l believe. She is 1️⃣2️⃣ now, and for a blue healer, she’s not only smart, obedient and loving she certainly knows her own mind. No male doggy, or otherwise will get one over her!! 👏🏼🥰 That’s my girl. ❤️😁🐾🐾 This was her second walk for the day, because she walked with my dad, & other walking doggy friends, and I’m blessed to have them stop by my work as I live very 5 minutes from home. 🏘️ l come out to give them all a quick kiss & pat, and back to work I go. I am blessed. 😇 Share

Day 7: wednesday 7 october 2026

‘Getting Into It’ Hi everyone. Well, I managed to to have two walks today. 👏🏼😉 One short one in the morning… (on the days that I’m not working), with Dad and Macey, and then we meet up with so many of our ‘doggy pack friends and their dogs’ on the walk in the morning and end up up our coffee shop …for us adults & treats for dogs (don’t ask me what treats … but they are naughty treats for them 😬🤭). The walk itself is probably about 1 1/2 K in total, but we could be missing for two hours by the time we get home … which quite often means the day feels like it’s got away from you. Plus, not much to show for your time out, except that you know you’ve had a nice walk and the doggies have got to be with their pals for awhile. 😁✅ But, l’m learning to appreciate semi retirement, because I can now do these lovely things and it makes me realise what a fantastic community we have in Yarra Glen. The afternoon walk however is dedicated more for Wade and I to get out cardio up and out Macey, just to feel free not being on a lead for as much as we can get away with it shall we say? The weather this week has been extremely kind and very spring like… so it’s not hard to enjoy a more cardio workout walk for me in the afternoon. Bring it on I say. ☺️👣👣🐾🐾😉 Share

Day 6: tuesday october 2026

Hi everyone, Another successful and happy walk, with my man Wade and the best dog ever my Macey. Hopefully, I’ve logged successfully… my activity from this walk properly …. for the first time. 🥴 I’m actually fitter than I realised because I’m nowhere near puffing whilst l walk. Five years ago I couldn’t walk 30 metres without stopping and trying to catch my breath. This was because over the Covid pandemic, I put on my weight, which saw my weight balloon to 105 KG’s. I’ve since lost (on a good day 😀) 30 kg’s. I can’t take the real credit for that … because it was due to Ozempic. However, by being on it, it has helped to save my life, & hopefully lengthen it and certainly get more from every day. My photo today (below)…l’ll post new pics daily…represents Wade and Macey getting ready for our barbecue dinner after coming back from our walk. I thought I might have a good night sleep after the walk yesterday, but I actually didn’t. ☹️ Wade thought because I haven’t walked at that pace for a long time that I would be sore today. Well I’m not. 👏🏼 Hopefully, I’ll sleep well tonight. Until next time…. 💤🌻 Share

Day5: monday 5th october 2026

Hi everyone. Well I definitely haven’t blogged or posted anything over last few days, because I have not had a decent walk … plus I’ve decided I’m only locking in on the days that I walk, the actual designated time that I allow for that walk, meaning incidental steps during the day are not taken into my daily total. I have to say that beautiful ‘Macey’ 🐾🐾 and I, and my partner Wade had a lovely walk when he came home from walk work today. We walked around our local reserve (which I haven’t done in quite some years). It’s now spring here and it really felt like it on this walk today … the beautiful green 🌲 , the chirping of the birds 🦜and a couple of other dog walkers was lovely to see. Lots more to come. My journey towards my goal is finally happening. PS: l don’t know what I’m doing wrong, but I do set my activity and timer when I set off on my walk/s. However, somewhere along the line on this walk, it stopped recording. The only thing I can reason is that I had phone calls come through whilst on the walk. I honestly don’t know what happened….ummm, some homework to do. 🙄🥴😉 Share

Day 2: 2 nd october 2026

Hi everyone reading, Unfortunately, today again proved, it was not conducive to walking for me. Melbourne’s Weather, although it wasn’t as bad as yesterday but neither was it great. ☹️ Thus, weighing up my options, l decided not to walk. l must mention at this point, that l had allowed myself in the calculations of my walking k/m’s for the month, that for two days per week (for whatever reason/s 🧐), that I may not walk…. it would not affect my overall grand total of achieving 80 k/m’s (or hopefully more) for the month. So, this is it day two. Tomorrow not far away, and is a new day. A 🆕 beginning. 👏🏼❤️😉 Share

Day 1: thursday: 1 october 2026

Hi Everyone, This is now my fourth and final attempt to write this blog and be able to save it. I have hopes of every everyday writing something to you that’s of interest, and perhaps even witty. My first attempt at the blog tonight was quite informative and even I enjoyed reading it. 😆 However, this is as I said attempt # four. l’m now frustrated and tired. 💤 Basically, I had just wanted to share with you all that I was very excited to begin this journey today. My first walk…. 1️⃣ / 3️⃣1️⃣ Unfortunately, it was literally a washout. l I went to work in the morning, had an appointment in the afternoon and ran some errands. However, I was determined to have this walk no matter how tired I might’ve been feeling. ln actual fact I wasn’t tired (surprisingly), and had so looked forward to taking Macey out with me. But, we all know what Melbourne‘s weather is like, and from 2pm onwards … it did nothing but 🌧️ rain, rain and pour in fact. It still is. 🫤 Thus, my excitement was ‘wiped out’ with disappointment. However, tomorrow is a new day, a new challenge. l’ve decided that even if the weather is still forecasting more rain … as is Saturday, l will walk 🚶, possibly without my beloved companion Macey 🐾🐾☹️, as there’s no point in us both being wet. Stay tuned. 😉 Share

Gratification

Oh my goodness…dear fam, & support. Share

My journey

I’ve been a procrastinator for some time now in constantly saying I’m going to do more walking.I do walk most days with my beautiful dog (when l’m not working) ‘Macey ’ my wonderful dog , and my dad & his wonderful pooch  ‘Taz’, many of my community folk in Yarra Glen and their dogs….our pack.However, the time may seem impressive i how long l appear to take to walk …. but this is because of walking our  dogs, along with our doggy  pack of friends and their pooches,  chatting to locals, other people & their dogs, stopping for our morning coffee at our local bakery (a treat for both us & our faithful companions. we may be gone on average, for up to 2 hours. So, I do not get my cardio up and therefore other than feeling I’ve been out in the fresh air, and happy that my dog has had some exercise…. I’m aware I’m severely lacking in creating  a good workout for my internal organs and general well-being.This month enables me to stay focused,  help a fantastic cause (of which I have been a lifelong sufferer), and bring more awareness to mental health in general.I’ve always believed in helping others,  giving back,  paying forward and supporting others, so I’m asking family,  friends and anybody who would like to assist me in raising the $300 I aim to raise during the month of October for this great charity.Every $1 is very much appreciated. Share