A useful day off! And Remembering.

 We had a day off yesterday and headed out, mindful of the price of fuel, aiming to do as many things as possible on our journey.

I had a parcel to send and inadvertently drove through Sanquhar....as I was aiming for Thornhill, a small town an hour's drive from here with a large sorting office. The post office had moved from the front of that lovely building to in the Spar shop over the road a few years ago....

No. No post office counter...and the next small  village down we just missed it, the counter only being open for a couple of hours every weekday morning.... We carried on towards our next aim, delivering some firewood to friends in Southerners, passing two ex post offices....then back through Dalbeattie. There is a stand alone Post Office there....on a narrow road going through the town. No parking nearby....so we carried on to Castle Douglas!

It is a good small town. Bravely resisting the large out of town warehouse shops...big shop T is just off the top of the high street, and wasn't allowed a café or fuel selling..as there are plenty in the town. The Co-op is on a back street and lets anyone park in their car park. Big shop A has just got permission to build... but they will be backing onto big shop T, their main competitors!! 

There aren't too many empty shops there and there is an active Community Group in the town ...we did fancy moving near there a few years ago but couldn't find anything suitable or affordable. So we enjoy visiting!!

Shopping done too we headed off to the Gallery in Lauriston...good tea, locally made cakes including an improved chocolate cake..and good craic with the photographer who lives there and runs the gallery.

It was shocking on our way to Lauriston and back up by the shores of Loch Ken on the way home just how many trees have been felled by the storms.

We heard on the radio this morning that one estate in the northeast of Scotland lost 70,000 trees in the 1953 storms. This year so far it is 100,000 some of them the older trees but quite a few those that were planted in 1953 or naturally regenerated then.

So a good day off.

Today we go to the velodrome in Glasgow.

There is a get together for a couple of hours to remember John Paul, a brilliant Scottish sprinter , junior world champion in 2011, who has just died in his sleep....at 28.   The track cycling community has been totally stunned, so getting together to remember such a generous, caring and talented young man is a good idea.

Not bikes

 Just because there was bike racing going on, doesn't mean that other things get ignored!!

Bikes

 

We went to watch the final of the Tour Series criterium races in Castle Douglas....the are having a four day bike and food festival.

I found some different bikes....

local

Good to see that the local NFU has the right idea!

Captured by The Pirate whilst awaiting the arrival of the Tour of Britain riders at the finish of the first stage in Castle Douglas.

I was off busy enjoying myself in the sunshine, doing 30 miles a little quicker than usual despite the hills.  Thats what proper summer weather does!!

Escape!

We drove away to find some SUN today....through rain/snow showers,over the hills to Dumfries.
Coffee and cake in Gracefields Arts centre cafe, then wander round the exhibitions and craft/art shop while The Pirate went for physio on his shoulder.
Doesn't seem almost a year since we were there,but there they were again......

Well, that is last March's photo..surprisingly they are a little behind this year in growth.

We had intended to visit the Yellow Door gallery,but had lunch with friends who are on their way to Gran Canaria for some stronger warmer sun!

Directly then,in the sunshine to Castle Douglas, a place we enjoy.
A good wholefood shop where I tried not to spend too much....and again  in the Art and Craft and gemstones and wool and...and....and....shop.....escaped with minimum supplies!!
Onwards to collect a box of biscuited berry bowls and a box of Pots for the Raffle during the Scottish Potters' weekend.
Unfortunately Hannah isn't well....lots of virtual hugs sent her way....and we hope to see her again soon.

The plan then was to call by a photographer in Lauriston...gallery closed, but we'll see them during the Spring Fling.
Next stop the Catstrand Arts Centre and Cafe in New Galloway...closed due to flood damage...try again, the village shop and cafe in Cairsphairn.....shut at 3.15pm, after we'd almost driven through a fantastic rainbow .

After that, with the rain showers easing, we just came home, with a little light wood foraging on the way.

The woodstove had gone cold, first time in weeks, so it got a good clearout...Now it is nicely toasting our toes as we chat via facebook with old friends from the 60s in Southampton, who emigrated to Canada!
I'm glad it is going well, as the oil fired boiler is beginning to show signs of age and lack of maintenance. (and no, we've never seen any safety certificate for that or the electrics here!!

The Pirate is writing our training diary...we bought a page a day diary today for the princely sum of 50p!! Far better than a calendar or sundry odd bits of paper.
Now we have to keep up the training and he has to keep up the writing!!

I had intended to cook some Lime Marmalade on our camping stove...the electric cooker here doesn't like boiling things, so preserving is difficult to say the least! It will sit and wait in the maslin pan until tomorrow......