Canal walk

 A tiring drive south yesterday to stay with middle son and partner for the weekend.

They live in an old urban area, next to a derelict industrial site...now full of wildlife!

We went for a walk by part of the Manchester Bury and Bolton Canal, parts of which still have water. One section has been dry since a washout occurred in 1936 .  There are plans to rebuild this to link up two wet sections.  We were fortunate that one of the local canal group members happened to be going for a walk to check something as we were on our walk!

The Meccano Bridge..ten times usual Meccano scale! Replacing a derelict bridge ten years ago.

The site of Creams paper mill, hit by the washout in 1936. This sits above the River Irwell.

Possibly the site of new flats and possibly linked to canal reconstruction.

More apples! But this time mostly on the wrong side of a wire fence and a keep out sign!!....this is in England...

Tomatoes and other fruit

 

This was the biggest tomato this year! Quite unexpected...and more than twice as big as any of the others. It weighed nearly 800 g / 1¾ pounds.

That went into a batch of aubergine and peppers with tomatoes, some of which we enjoyed without visitor.

I am working through the rest...one large batch of non-spicy green tomato and apple chutney, as some people can't tolerate spices.   Then yesterday a very hot tomato and ginger chutney, a friend's recipe that is on the downsizer forum recipe base. 

It was for yellow tomatoes, but I used all the green tomatoes that needed using straight away, plus all the half ripe red ones.

Much bubbling......

It is certainly hot and spicy...and very nice indeed. It will be good to see how it matures.

We took advantage of a break in the weather yesterday afternoon....not that it lasted very long! And had a walk along the big hedge in the field.   Of course we had bags with us! 

We picked a bagfull of sweet crabapples, and a smaller amount of wild pears. The variety I had hoped to get had finished and gone while we were away...they are still as hard, but sweeter...so again, wait until next year and hope. But those we did get will hopefully mix with the sweet apples to make a pleasant enough juice. We will see!!

Then retreat..as the rain came in again.

This morning I awoke to more of the heavy rain and high winds that were keeping us awake last night. A little further north and west from us has a yellow weather warning, as their winds will be in the 70 miles and hour range not the 40s like ours!

Pirate isn't up yet....who blames him?!!

Another sky

 

I was lucky to go out of our front door as our friend arrived to stay over...

It was even more stunning, but no camera I have had picks up that very pale blue green...it still is a lovely memory.

After an early start today, HOT tomato chutney is on the hob....

The rest of the harvest can be used in day to day cooking.  The aim next year is more ripe tomatoes, instead of green ones!!

Partial solar eclipse

 

Before 

During...the clouds were not much help, but the light noticeably dimmed, even with only a 25% eclipse

After...it was brighter than the image appears .

Apparently the further north you were, the more obvious it was..the best place being mid North Atlantic!!

Down day

 We had our jags yesterday evening at the local community centre...flu in one arm and the new double covid Jag in the other. I wanted them both in the arm I don't sleep on, but they need to know if you have a reaction, which one is causing it!   So far so good anyway. A little tenderness, but that is to be expected.

We are so fortunate in Scotland that we just have to wait for our blue envelope, instead of chasing appointments.

So today is a down day...late up after a cuppa in bed, and take it easy all day.

The fleabay bookwork needs bringing up to date..just a couple of sales to go in the accounts book. And the study needs its tidying finished before a friend comes to stay on Wednesday.

There is no incentive to get busy in the garden anyway, it is chill and damp...forecast overcast all day and heavy rain by tonight. I have sorted the best of the garlic cloves to plant now for next year's crop.

Now to make lunch and carry on with some light kitchen re-arrangement.

The aim is to have plates, tools and food in easily accessible and sensible places!! Not easy in something that is a glorified galley kitchen/utility room/larder all in one...

Callander House

 We went to Falkirk today, Pirate helped a friend who was racing in a national series Cyclo-cross in the grounds of Callander House....he was the pit bitch!!  Bucket and Brush and spare bike at the ready... thankfully not needed.

It gave me a chance to see the latest small exhibitions there...one on graphic magazine covers produced by hand locally in the 60s to 80s, and one of local art and craft...very good quality indeed.

Our lad done well..3rd 60plus...

The rain then set in...so no bike ride for us.  A good reason to celebrate his 70th birthday and drink coffee with a friend in his bike shop!!

Then home through Glasgow...but to avoid the football traffic, had a diversion to Ikea....a good supper and buying a much needed bedsheet!!

So we left in the dark...and got home in the dark!

Pen y Ghent

 We stayed in a roadside hotel outside Skipton on the way home....I wish it had been a lot further from the road!! Still, had it been, it would have been much more than £55.....

This was just over halfway home, and a chance to see a little of where pirate raced nine times, in the Three Peaks Cyclo-cross race.

Through Settle to Horton in Ribblesdale, where the cyclists start up towards Pen y Ghent mountain, after doing Ingleborough and Whernside (including going past the Ribblehead viaduct) . We walked up nearly the first half...1½ miles....the second half..1¾miles...would have been too much!! As it was the three miles took nearly three hours.

A wooden footbridge...the road bridges are narrow, and the quarry lorries wait for nobody!!

Along the road to where the riders leave the road and head up a track.

An apt name...seeing the view...

Onwards and upwards....

Looking back

I don't know how they do it!!....and in three or four hours as well. Just crazy.

Sandwiches and cake from Kirby Lonsdale...then on the road again. 

A much needed stop at Gretna Green....then home shopping in Thornhill...one hour of travelling to go, as it gradually turned to night.

We were very glad indeed to arrive home. The car was emptied ...cleaning it can wait!!

Today has been catching up time...doing the laundry, packing two fleabay sales and taking them to the post office by bike. Relaxing, then clearing the polytunnel of tomatoes...a washing up bowl full! I must clear and clean the greenhouse tomorrow morning.