When I'm not at my desk concocting dastardly deeds and murky mysteries for Scott, Jack, Emily and Drift to sort out, one of my favourite things to do is to go walking in the countryside with my dogs, Storm and Maia.
Not only does walking stop my legs shrivelling up completely and falling off from all those hours hunched over my computer, but it's great for hatching plots and working out clues. Somehow walking and thinking go really well together. So do walking and talking. Which is why it's always fun to go for a walk with a friend or two (and their dogs).
And now I've discovered a nifty new app for called Everytrail that lets me plot my walks on the map, uploading photos as I go - all using my phone. I can share my walking routes with friends, and also look up new walks that other people have uploaded. This is now my favourite new toy. It even tells me exactly how far I've walked, how long it took me and my average speed. And I can add a little story to accompany the walk too.
So this morning when I set off during a rare break in the rain for a lovely walk with my friend Karen and her dog Pip, I plotted it all in Everytrail - and share it with you here.
(You might notice the family resemblance - Pip is the sister of Storm and Maia - they were all born in the same litter, just over six years ago - they love going for walks together!)