Essex walk

 Staying with a previous workmate of Pirate's in order to go to another's retirement party..nice to have a walk somewhere different...but it feels odd...it is fairly flat!!

going up for a change

This morning's ride went up to Loch Bradan, now the water supply for Troon.
Home is at 150 metres above sea level (about 500 feet), and once we reached the main valley road  at about 110m, it was steady, but thankfully not constant climbing....I only walked two short stretches!!

"keep right on to the end of the road"...well, the metalled bit anyway.

We climbed up the bank a little way to see what we could see- the "lump" on the right is at 376m and was in the way!  You can just see the hills to the north of the road between Straiton and Dalmellington (once a coal mining town)

sheep....never stay and have their portrait taken!!

A pretty flower growing in the boggy ground...I'm sure someone can tell me its name....

Then an exhilarating....no, scary!! ride back down the steep bits...and then we went straight on to Straiton and The Buck for coffee....and The Resident Dog decided that I wasn't to go anywhere...and placed her paw firmly by mine!!

The Pirate needed a few more miles under his belt but I chose to go back home..and arrived at the same time as today's rain showers..

Having recharged our batteries we have tidied more, found things that were being searched for and given away two good spare beds.
The rubbish bag is filling slowly and we can see more floor! 

There is still a lot to be sorted but we're seeing the light, thankfully.

packing

We are supposed to be packing...but I'm sitting in front of a log fire, trying to keep an eye on it whilst playing "catch up" on the laptop.

We were given a connecting lead three days ago...this morning I tackled the heap of plastic liquorice in the corner behind the (unused!) computer and found that we already had everything to get connected, including WiFi!!

It has, however been a good healing process , living in a fairly remote valley two miles from the village. No mobile signal for either of us and only Radio 2!!
I haven't needed the radio on low to be able to sleep and have revelled in the silence and sounds of deepest Ayrshire.

Neither of us can believe what Fate has landed us in, but it is good and strong and smells sweet.  The future will not be all smooth and easy but we're facing it together.

The Pirate is getting our bikes ready for our first ride together, so I'd better publish this and get a move on!!