We took our chance between storms Malik and Corrie for a walk where we had seen cars parked and dogs being walked...and found an ex mining site similar to Hannahston reserve, but less well cared for and smaller.
Not many birds to be seen today. Post and pre storms...one crow. One Robin and three Fieldfares!!
Knitting on.....
Several shiny bike bits sent off in the post, now as Pirate sorts the boxes of Stuff in the workshop he is finding more for me to clean and sell!
At least now he can work inside the workshop, but it is still cold damp and windy out there.
We are watching old TV programmes of Fred Dibnah while cleaning and knitting!
At least we managed an hour's walk at dusk before the wind got up again...
Watching others get muddy!!
The essential coffee cart!
First off the youngsters... instructions, it's not a race, just go as slow or fast as you want! Have fun!!
Just 20 minutes for them and prizes for all!
Then the B race, 45 minutes and a lap...
Men off first, then the 20+ women a few minutes after. Everyone wears a transponder so that the lap times and number of laps is on a computer as well as recorded by hand (just in case!!)
I had two clubmates in the race, and one won it! ( The red is our winter kit)
Then the A race...I watched the start....
Not sure what happened...but in a bunch of well over 50 riders no-one ride into him and he was back on his bike straight away...
I didn't stay to watch that race, but sheltered from the rising breeze in my car..and knitted a test square in my new yarn as well as reading some of a book....
Late lunch then in The Coo Shed, run by a farming family who sell milk in a vending machine, have a small garden centre and have a 70...probably now down to 50...seat café selling food prepared there.
The lights....
Are milking clusters...
The cow theme goes right through the place....Toilets...Udderly bursting...Kitchen....farmhands only.....the hook on the back of the toilet cubicle doors are shaped like the back half of a cow....
And the food and drink is top class!
Pirate rode the nine miles home from there...better than starting from the race and crossing a very busy A77. Home before dark, just!
Then time to put our feet up before supper!
We enjoyed a day on the bike...but the week was a bit of this and a bit of that after that!!
I am aiming now not to leave things half done....not easy!!
But the washing mountain has been done...for now!! And some decent weather speeded the drying, thankfully.
Blood orange marmalade was made today after prepping yesterday and this morning...
I love the smell of ironing!!
My daughter has pointed me in the direction of Grampus, to organise the family tree research...I think having a day to do that would make sense, to really concentrate.
The study is a lot tidied, so working there for researching or drawing and printing should be easier!
And for light entertainment?..I have bought a skein of Ronaldsay wool....I do need some new fingerless gloves/ mitts......that will be good for sitting of an evening, or at the velodrome when himself has a session on the track!!
The best news of all? We have started sorting the workshop ready to construct a closed verandah and fit a window.
We went to Dalrymple by car today,as I had a parcel to post.
Then off on the bikes, for me the first time this year! We met up with three others for a gentle ride...it wasn't so gentle for me!! However I rode up the hills, and we didn't go up any huge ones!
Over to Straiton then down the Girvan valley as far as Dalry . By then after about twelve miles my legs had that rubbery feeling every time we saw a hill...even a small one!! We crossed to the other side of the valley there and at last had a tailwind as we headed for Maybole and lunch in a café. I was very glad that although we had four miles left to go, there was only one hill to climb...and not a huge one either.
We both need to ride more and walk more...but I think having nearly a whole day out at the moment is a luxury!! Things are beginning to move on the workshop front and I am steadily decluttering and selling. Pirate is sorting bike stuff...and it is happening quicker than previous times. The aim is to be able to do what we want and need without spending time moving other things...to go straight to a job or occupation with no fuss or waste.
A Dream? Maybe..but it is a relief as it gradually begins to happen!!
A month ago I saw a tablemat pieced block that I was working on two years ago in NZ.....
Can I find it?? No way!! Therefore, cue sorting out all the sewing stuff!
My grandma's sewing store box has been organised...
We had a walk around Hannahston before lunch, and the catkins are coming along fast.
And fungi too, with little really cold weather are still fruiting.
Two fleabay sales to deal with, one packed and the other sent an invoice, hopefully he will pay ready for a post run tomorrow.
Pirate has started sorting the building materials and clearing out clutter from my workshop, ready for verandah construction.
And so it's back to more sorting.....while he has a siesta!
Pirate has been away with our friend...I have been busy!!
Study cleaned and tidy, sorting out has begun.... It is too easy to keep far too many boxes...and still not have the one that fits what you need to post!!
Posting done in town, and bargains on our usual purchases scored!! No point buying other things just because they are cheap!
They have had a successful trip, and enjoyed watching other friends race after our Fife mate had ridden his race.
Now we are relaxing, after a home made supper..pesto pizza, baked tatties, salad and apple and strawberry crumble with homemade yoghurt.
Watching the masters snooker and enjoying skilful play..and soon to bed.
Not my favourite occupation....
Paying subscriptions, doing fleabay research....and finally listing them at last!!
Bike bits, ceramics and stuff..and now I find that I got as far as drafts on two...getting interrupted doesn't help!
Some things are quite fun...but it all has to go!
A coffee picnic on a teapot?!!
We woke to weather warnings....and they were right...
Starting fine. Then large flakes...but just before lunch it eased off and we headed out for a legstretch on Pirate's usual route.
We saw bluetits and sparrows, a tree creeper and wrens. No dippers or wagtails, the river was still quite high.
As we came back up the field, the clouds lifted
Goat Fell, with snow right down to sea level.
More showers are coming over
At present the sun is bright and warm....from indoors!! There is a chill breeze creeping around my feet as I write...the back door doesn't fit perfectly. Not ideal as heating costs rise. Still, our rent is low....swings and roundabouts!!
Yesterday we managed to catch a weather window!!
The wind was still cold and cutting sharp..so a mask was very useful.
We were aiming to see how the bird population was, but the smaller birds were mostly absent, apart from a couple of wrens in a sheltered spot, one buzzard that looked to be hunting mice or something, and a buzzard being chased away by a crow.
We think that this is the route of one old track between farms, and we explored further along it to where it crossed with another.
We came back by an old smallholding, Carlavrock..a Laverock is a lark.
And saw a different, noisy type of bird...
Heading back up to our village we saw the weather window closing..
Home before the light sprinkling of snow....on a frozen car...
Last night the frost had thawed, early this morning there as no frost...until we got up and the car was frozen again!!
Today we have been sorting more Stuff!!
We have two lawn mowers that we need to shift...Pirate hauled them out of the shed so that I could photograph them. Then hopefully we can find someone in the Old Lawnmower Club who might like them and give them some TLC!!
No point having a mountain of mowers when you only have a small patch at home to cut!!
Posts
All Comments
