First Footing Clubrun

I made soup and cakes, as did a couple of others. Pirate made tea and coffee and served soup...

 The first bunch tuck in...

 bike park

 and after a couple of hours chatting in front of the woodburner, the ride home starts, some from as near as 14 miles, others nearly 40, most having met in Ayr.

 The last man in the bunch ...

 and this is all they left!

Birthday Bash....76 not out!!

 A heap of cards to open yesterday

 Afternoon tea at the club hut..cheese, apples, wine and oatcakes, chocolate cake and lemon meringue pie...and good company!


 The sun came out after they'd all gone...of course!

 Then to friends over the burn to talk through the evening, watching the Tour de France and golf from a sodden and windswept Carnoustie.

April Club Hut run

Soup was made on Saturday night, a homemade loaf was ready and malt loaves purchased (I wasn't going to bake that at short notice!)

The Pirate loaded up his bike and the provisions and I rode down.
The idea was that the clubrun from Ayr would catch up with me.....but they didn't!
I had a lovely ride, tapping along steadily apart from the start of the crossover from the Girvan Valley to the Stinchar Valley...what is called "Blackie's Brae" in the cycling club.  Not a particularly nasty climb, but the rough potholed stretch makes climbing hard.
Just under an hour and forty minutes for nearly 23 miles. Apart from a mist coming up from Girvan a bright sunny day!

The clubrun arrived in three groups, and the soup just did fifteen servings....I think that we need a bigger soup pot, as the club hut has seen twentyfive at the First Footing!!

As The Pirate and friends cleared up, I photographed the attendees as they departed, the faster groups taking longer, hillier routes home...
He went with the last group and enjoyed a ride in good company, turning off for the last miles home.

"Feet up!" was the order for much of the rest of the day!

club hut visit and an eventful afternoon

 The Soup Dragon got busy this morning, making a pressure cooker full of vegetable soup to go to the Ayr Roads cycling Club's club hut...we started with wet roads after last night's heavy rain and high winds, but by the time we'd reached the Stinchar Valley we had, despite a chill wind, lovely sunshine.

The clubrun didn't appear..so,

We enjoyed the soup...and homemade bread and jam....and malt loaf....

 then shut and locked the hut and went for a walk by the river.

 Now a fishing hut, I think...but where are the chicken legs ?!!

The river was flowing fast, but not as fast as it has done over the past few weeks...surprisingly the snowdrops are blooming amidst the waterswept vegetation.

 a log in a field?....

 This is where the water came over the flood defences...

 a whirlpool...

 Home along the scenic route...

 and luckily we had a bowsaw in the car...

just where a tree had fallen over the road in the storms two weeks ago...

Over the "hill" from Barr where we met hailstorms on our way to visit a friend in Straiton, where a toestrap had been demonstrating Use #1051....

Now secured with the requisite bolt...

and we are home burning the fruits of the Pirate's labours as the hail hammers on the roof!!

We heard that Ayr had had heavy hail and rain in the morning....no wonder no-one turned up!

Ayr Roads Cycling Club, club hut first footing

 After making soup and bread rolls and cheese biscuits on Saturday, I was only just in time to get some soup when I rode to the hut!  
The Pirate took the provisions and his bike in the car.
Other people added more cakes and biscuits....

 The Pirate lit the stove before they all arrived, and set the table.

Some had to leave early....

 Most of the rest left together, and neighbours came out for the photocall

 The last four left standing...Pirate in his orange jacket from New Zealand,still going strong after five years...

They rode home and I brought my bike back in the car,along with what was left of the feast,and the washing up!

The Pirate's Birthday Bash

 With families,friends and Charlie The Dog. Also presents and The Cake!!