More skies

 Monday morning the clouds rolled in after a clear start

This next was  after an hour

And this at the front 

I was hoping for a parcel delivery...looks like it would be today, which meant escape for some daylight!!

Berries by the bus stop..still a few left after the fieldfares , redwings , starlings and blackbirds.

A two bus journey to Troon for a special shop..and for some reason I went the other way around the block...and met one of my best friends!!

After the shop, hot chocolate was in order..and in the café the woman serving us used to work (pre covid) in our favourite café in Prestwick!!

Cosmic chuckles all round!!

There happens to be a secondhand bookshop by the bus stop....another Joanne Harris book...and a ceramics book. Do I need more books? !!

Quiet day

 And grubby paws day! I have been slowly cleaning bike bits most of the day...but I did get an hour's stroll around Hannahston.

Not the full circuit, 11am looked to be dogwalking time and I didn't need to meet a group of jumping yappy dogs!

Like baubles...

The bird hide over there..there are bird feeders the other side

Blackbird bath time!!

I'm hoping that the right video has loaded!

Not easy to see on the phone screen.

Then back for lunch and more bike bits cleaning. Some will not be worth selling, but as I wrote before..you have to get them clean to find that out!

This one is the right video.. hopefully,!

Sparrow alley

A warm day

 A clearer start...then back to double digit temperature...yo yo weather!

This was at 8.05 am this morning 

Like someone said this evening, it was like a September day, without the daylight!

The people at the new gallery in town like the work I took to show them....they have a "guest pop-up table" in the small gallery ...I have the work, now to prepare it for sale..

The table is booked up for a couple of months, so no pressure.

Then some shopping before getting back home...I started a batch of yoghurt..not a lot of work and if I can get back in the routine of making it , it will be cheaper than buying yoghurt. 

The wind got up this evening , back to hoolie status by the sound of it! An evening to draw the curtains and carry on with making bike bits shine again.

Staying indoors

 I dislike staying indoors all day...but....

I woke again at 8am (there are some interesting programmes on in the wee small hours, especially by 5am!)...as it was so grey and dull compared to the past few mornings.

So I missed the recycling collection..no big deal, I don't have much in the recycling bucket stack.

I planned to go for a walk before the wind got up again...did my French practice..then as I made a cuppa in the kitchen I missed a call....no name but the number was half familiar... eventually I received another call and it was from a friend that I haven't seen for years..last time we did a trip through North Wales near where I used to live..she had met Pirate on that trip...and like everywhere he made a lasting impression. She hadn't realised that he had died...

We ended up chatting and catching up for about 1½ hours....at least !!

So next year must have a north Wales trip...so many friends to see there.

As I had my belated lunch the clouds roll in and the wind started whistling around the house again...

One job to be done outside...lift the last of this year's red beetroot..there are a few yellow left to come yet.

Then get on with cleaning a couple of chainrings to sell, as the next loaf baked...I'm trying the middle sized loaf this time. After that finished, time for the turbo..

Just over nine miles in 35 minutes...and the resistance up to 3 for the last 15 minutes...

The knack is to have the radio on and concentrate on that!! 

I'm not keen on it...but if it means better sleep and a healthier fitter me...I'll keep at it.

Sky again

 Incentive to get up in the morning .

"bookends"

 

7.10am...

Then 7.40am

The birds waking...and the commute starting.

Then breakfast with one of the three apples my tree produced

Then the sunset..

Clydeside with the light shining on the river...

And in the distance the peaks of the Bens.. Beinn is the Gàidhlig for mountain.

And the highest we can see, from about 60 miles/100km is Ben Lomond...Beinn Laomainn.

Cleaning

 Washing first, on before breakfast..and by 3pm it was half dry. 

So it is luxury evening with the central heating on low and the dehumidifier by the clothes rack and kitchen radiator!  The house needs a bit of warmth and airing once in a while anyway.  I am mainly keeping the living room warm enough. No point keeping all the house hot!!

A warm living room was needed today as I have been sitting cleaning bike bits..rather cruddy bike bits!! One derailleur ready to sell (and photographed) and the other clean except for one jockey wheel which I need to undo, but the nut is resisting...I have left it to soak with WD....and cleaned and old Campagnolo chainring. It won't bring much in, but it is still usable...and a clean piece sells better.

I've had enough now...more tomorrow...now for French lessons...and then a book!   

I found a Joanne Harris ( of "Chocolat" fame) book in a charity shop yesterday...and it is following the same main character again....The Lollipop Shoes"...