Hogmanay walk with Pirate and Bro

we saw these four years ago..looking derelict..now they have been spruced up and are lived in!!

 Down to the overflow into the river Ayr..but I think that this is used to generate electricity...

Sad times

 SAD...we are so looking forward to longer days and sunshine.

Sadness.

Fortunately one of Pirate's longstanding friends had phoned him for a chat last week. Yesterday his wife texted Pirate to say that he had died suddenly.

Services team , all stationed in Germany in the early 1960s.

On the left, Mick Evans Army...emigrated to Adelaide. 

In the middle, Mick Coupe, also Army I think, who has just died. A really good rider, rode as an independent (not a full professional).

On the right, Pirate, RAF, in the green and white kit of the Ashford Wheelers.

Speaking to him last week has eased Pirate's sadness. But it hasn't helped him when he is already feeling low with his health problem.

Gerrit

 Yet another storm...we are having 40 mph gusts, with stronger overnight, and yet more rain with added hail.

I think that they should have shut the snow gates much earlier....and people should have heeded the weather forecast and warnings.

Indoors jobs today

The district nurse came today and she has been having problems with her central heating like us...both sorted now, thankfully..ours was an air pressure diaphragm which is supposed to keep the water pressure up, hers was a damp control box.

She was pleased with Pirate..but we will all be glad when he hears from the hospital about his next step.

Tidying and sorting continues...and Pirate has joined in on his Stuff!!

I am getting pieces of old jeans ready to patch my favourite shoulder bag...from the inside, as it is black. The bag that I mended at Xmas time in NZ last year is definitely worse for wear now. It doesn't help that the black cloth that I bought in Geraldine has faded a little so no longer matches the bag! But it has done a good job for the past year.

Cleaning up

 I had two hours this morning before Pirate got up.....yesterday's apple juice and cordial processing labelled and stacked in the bottle racks, spare bottles bagged up to go to a friend. All little end of job things finished and tidied...recycling out and kitchen bench cleaned... space....for 5 minutes!!

Two washes done and racked. A little ironing from the last wash cleared up.

It sounds a lot, but it's a relief to clear out all the things that get left when you get called away to do anything!!

It was lovely to see the sun after days and days of grey, so we went out for a walk not far from the sea, on the coastal path near Alloway.

There were plenty of hedgerow birds around including a bunch of Stonechats. The rooks were gleaning in one field, other fields were waterlogged after all the rain.

We are aiming to exercise every day now..Pirate needs to keep fit enough for his hooded for op, and I need to lose my "spare tyre" that I have gained since March...

Then home for lunch and carrying on clearing out clutter.

Fleabay stuff has been checked and there are some items to relist..

Brother is arriving next Saturday....we need a tidy room for him to sleep!

And rest....there will be plenty of time to carry on tomorrow, with another storm..Gerrit..forecast.

Xmas

 A quiet time here...just local cards and phone calls and texts to family and friends.

It has been so wet lately...showers, with rain in between! Some were lucky to get a reasonably dry walk late this morning.

Since then the light has faded again, with everything blanketed in grey cloud.

I have been busy in the kitchen...before we went out I bottled the apple juice that we had pressed yesterday...nine bottles, nearly four litres...and added sugar to the mixed berry juice I had extracted...seven and a half bottles there, so between three and four litres.

Through the afternoon I have been processing them...the last batch is on now.

This will clear a lot of space in the kitchen as they go on the racks, and spare bottles have been sorted to go to friends...three carrier bags full!!

Now to get supper on the way...roasted vege salad, baked tatties, falafel mix patties and possibly a fruit crumble as the oven will be on.....

Hope you are all having a peaceful argument free time! 

Storm Pia

 This was the scene just after 8am this morning...

Vehicles have been overturned by the wind, bridges restricted and train services suspended ....

It now looks a little brighter, with blue sky patches showing through, but the clouds are moving space..we are having guests up to 50 mph as the Mull of Kintyre shelters us somewhat. Friends in the far Northeast had 85mph guests early this morning.

Not good, but apparently Denmark will be feeling the full brunt of this as it swirls around all of Europe.

No going out today...we missed a delivery today as we'd gone to Glasgow...we had told the sender that we wouldn't be here, but.....and as it is a bottle of whisky, we have to receive it...so we are sitting here kicking our heels.

Or rather I am, as Pirate is having a nap!!!

When is the delivery scheduled? Sometime before 10pm.....

All this made us forget a reflexology appointment...but thankfully that has been moved back and not charged for.

As soon as the offending article is delivered....or Pirate wakes up...I can get on with Beetroot chutney and pickling. The last of the crop was lifted a couple of days ago and the rain has made a good job of washing the earth off the beets!

Pirate has now chosen to go for further treatment... hopefully this will go ok...within the next three months. It won't get rid of Charlie...but it should make his life easier and less painful. The sooner the better. 

It is getting him down...and the weather isn't helping, day after sodden windy day.

Light , inaction

 The light is dragging its heels into the day here.

No incentive to rise at a decent time to get things done! 

I have been up for an hour, when it was vaguely light and misty...it isn't much different now!  Breakfast has been made, now waiting for Pirate to make an appearance. However he seems rather reluctant!  So I have read blogs, sold another bike bit on fleabay, which when they pay makes two to take to the post office. 

I sorted a few more bits to list yesterday as this has been a 70% off selling fees weekend, a good incentive to get organised! That finishes at midnight tonight...so I am hoping for better daylight soon to get the items photographed !

Every day seems to be sliding from one to the next with the occasional active and productive day...it is getting a bit frustrating..so time to make a proper list!! Then at least I can have the satisfaction of seeing things crossed off when done.

Ah, the sound of Pirate stirring...at 9.30am!!!  So let's get moving.

Friends . Day Out

 No photos today.. mostly I was too busy driving!

Pirate couldn't get himself up and running properly, so despite being up at 6.30am we didn't leave until two hours afterwards...but it did mean that we heard our favourite Radio Scotland programme "out of doors  " which runs from 6.30 to 8am!  

We didn't guess this week's Mystery Sound....it was the sound of underwater noise pollution that fish and sea mammals have to endure....

Off into the dawn..I wish we had one of those pull down visors on the car that busy have! It was a beautiful sunrise and sky.

A quick stop in Castle Douglas to post my NHS "poo test" sample..quick and painless every couple of years...and worth doing. We get these automatically until we are 75, and can request them after that with no bother.

Then on to Southerness for coffee with a friend and his son. They have a cottage they rent out for holidays next to theirs, and Saturday is Changeover day...except that this week the annual Council checkover will take place, so that they can stay on the list of arrived properties.

Then Kirkcudbright to buy a present for a special friend...and we went around the coast road for a nice change.

A quick stop in Palnackie on the way there to eat a sandwich near the harbour..where construction work is going on...a good sign....and the small tall ship was in the wee harbour too. Her name is La Malouine.

Then back to Castle Douglas to meet another friend...he is a forester and tree feller, but also makes things in wood!

Several seasonal and anniversary presents sorted....then lunch in our favourite cafe, a wander around the high street and home as day faded to night.

Windy dawn

 

Early out this morning..the wind is fairly strong, but it is dry so far...off to see a couple of friends today, as the forecast looks even less friendly tomorrow..as if we hadn't had enough rain!!

Damp walkies

 Evidence of Dippers! But no bird to be seen

A camouflaged gate

Drips

No surprise that the dippers weren't around, the river has been really high

Just a brief walk to get some air... between showers...

Last night's supper....

All these from the garden,..plus a couple of poached eggs each. Simple, but satisfying in many ways.

A weekend spectating

 Sprinter/coach friend showing that he can still do it!

On the Saturday my bike did well...good to see it helping someone who has come into track racing and joined the team we are in. 

In the morning she had ridden a team pursuit and they won bronze.

On Saturday night after the finish of racing we went on up the road from Glasgow to Dundee..the nearest budget chain hotel South of the race on Sunday. Two hours in the rain....

We were aiming to see our friend ride the last of the Scottish Cyclo-cross series, in Brechin, one that had been postponed due to bad weather...

On the Sunday morning we woke to fog.....up the A90 with hardly any break in the weather...on arrival at the course we had to go further along the road to park at an industrial estate, or go on the field and risk getting stuck.

After a very good quarter mile walk in our wellies back along the road we reached the Equestrian centre where the racing was being held, going mainly around the woods at the edge of the fields.

We missed the beginning of his race, but while watching in the rain I got some decent photos as they lapped...the aim is to have a course that is ten minutes around, then the riders do (for example) 40 minutes and a lap...

Then more photos of the women racing as we had a clubmate in both races, as well as our friend, who won on the day as well as overall in the series.

Then back down the road, still misty until Dundee, refuelled the car and ourselves and back to the Velodrome in time to see our clubmate finish the last ten laps of her points race, sprints and points every ten laps...bronze medal again...after riding an individual pursuit in the morning..silver for that...a hard three days racing for her against girls and women far younger.

A nice touch...the medal winners insisted on the fourth placed rider being in the picture..as she is about three times the age of the winner....who is on the Alba development squad.(and who lapped the field twice....)

Great to see all doing well and catch up with friends all weekend.

Now back down to earth with a bump and catch up on washing and cleaning!