Sunday 16 March 2014

Bungee Jumping In The Sun


We've had a week of warmer, Springlike weather and that certainly makes me feel more cheerful
I've been dusting and gardening quite happily.
I've been walking when I can. There is a lovely place of natural beauty in Bristol that is called The Downs and stretches for a long way and everyone can walk there. It's a very popular place to go. I'm not sure that the word, Downs is a good name to call this place as there are certainly many hills to climb to get there. However, The Ups doesn't sound right, does it?
To walk to The Downs from our house would be about a mile and a half each way and then there could easily be a couple of miles of walking once there.
One Saturday quite recently, I walked to The Downs and sat on a little bench in the sun watching people walking by, families playing ball, while mentally noting which buses came by on the busy road nearby and how often. Well, none of them go in my home direction. So after I had finished sitting in the sun, I decided to get a bus to the city centre and stop off by the harbour waterfront. It was still sunny and I noticed that a lady near to me suddenly gasped and everyone was looking in a certain direction. I noticed a huge pole with a lift going up to it, some distance away and a bungee jumper had just leapt off the pole and was swinging away over the water, upside down.
Well, I was far enough away for the jumper not to look like a human being at all, with feelings and personality, but rather like a slender sack swinging about till it was drawn up by the lift and taken slowly down to safety.
I stopped to watch several others jump off the very high pole from the lift but they all looked alike, swinging and indistinguishable as humans though my imagination was making me wonder what it must be like to be make that jump.  I couldn't see whether the jumpers were men or women because I was too far away but they seemed to be very brave to me.
I doubt whether I'd ever have had the nerve to do that at any stage of my life. Now, I think it would finish my poor old back off for good. I suppose there must be an upper age limit for this kind of sport/activity.

I wonder if any of my readers has ever bungee jumped in their lifetime?


12 comments:

Brian Miller said...

smiles....i have rappeled off a 300 ft cliff...that first step is a doozie...ha....never bungee jumped though....glad you got some nice weather...we are still in the silly season...72 yesterday....and 3-7 inches of snow due tonight...

Dimple said...

Hi Maggie,
Your comment about "the downs" got me curious, so I looked it up. I found this: "In the 'hill' context, the word 'down' derives from Celtic (Welsh or Gaelic) dun "hill, hill fort"."

I'm glad you have spring weather; we are having some, also, but I will have to wait a while for it to settle in and produce flowers.

Never been bungee jumping. And don't want to, either!

Blessings!

Hilary said...

A lifelong fear of heights strikes bungee jumping (and skydiving) off of my list. I'm not even comfortable watching it though maybe from the vantage point you had would not be so bad. Sounds like you had a lovely spring day. May more follow in quick succession.

Rosaria Williams said...

Not me! My boys would have, and I would be in shock the whole time.

Eddie Bluelights said...

The only jumper I have anything to do with is my pullover.
It must be great fun to experience but one for the younger people so count me out. I did read that bungee jumpers jumped of The Clifton Suspension Bridge with a rubber rope tied to their legs. The River Avon is 200 feet below and it took ages to stop and be hauled up. Must spoil your breakfast I imagine.

Secret Agent Woman said...

Never have, never will. I just don't see the appeal.

Akelamalu said...

Bungee jump, me???? You have got to be kidding (A) I can't stand heights and (B) I think you have to be slightly mad to do it! LOL

Wasn't the weather lovely last week, we got lots of gardening done. This week it's C.O.L.D. again here. :(

Rose said...

After seeing your post title, I am so relieved to know you weren't bungee jumping, Maggie!:) Never in my life would I have been brave enough to try this; I've never been brave enough to ride most large rollercoasters either. It even makes me nervous to watch my kids or grandkids on anything like this.

Glad spring has come to you at last; we've had a few days to tease us, but then the cold comes back. One of these days spring is going to stay, I hope.

Jackie said...

Don't do it, Maggie!!
:))))
I love the fact that you enjoyed sitting in the sun during this day...and that you were able to see a bungee jumper...but you didn't partake!! :)))

Suburbia said...

Needless to say, it has never appealed to me - I'm far to unadventurous!!

Wisewebwoman said...

Can't imagine it. Scary stuff. But I do love your word picture. I felt I was there watching with you.

XO
WWW

Formerly known as Frau said...

No way I would today....too scary! Although in my youth I went skydiving! Have a wonderful day enjoy the nice spring weather!