weekend out

 The Bell memorial, remembering a cycling author who wrote about this area of South West Scotland.

 Looking across the valley...I think this is The Awful Hand, the Meyrick (the highest) is just to the right. 
The Memorial is near the junction of two roads, one the main Ayr to Newton Stewart, the other goes via  Nic o the Balloch and Glen Ala, and over to Crosshill or Dailly on the way to Girvan.
The wind here can treat tall trees like matchsticks.

 After checking that the site was good for the following day's plans we followed the road down to Newton Stewart, and all the burns and rivers were full after a couple more days of heavy rain.

 In the riverside car park there is a sign asking you to watch out for the ducks!
These were on a dash to a splash...probably competing for a lady's attention....

The Sunday started damp, but we loaded the car with firewood,my bike and a few provisions and headed back to the Memorial...
The Cyclists Touring Club had organized various runs converging there for a traditional drumup....

 the Billy is made from a clean baked beans tin with a stainless steel wheel spoke as a handle..

 New friends are made, and a passing rider found a novel way to warm his gloves...

 the locals investigated and left...

 and groups of riders came to share lunch and a brew...

 Another rider had started the fire and The Pirate kept the billys boiling..

In all there must have been nearly forty riders out.

Afterwards he stayed to see the fire finished and safe and I rode the 25 miles home...thankfully mostly with a tailwind!

 past tree harvesting...

 and the signs of Spring.