Faversham

 Day off! After delivering a bunch of flowers to a cousin..who was out with her daughter so we missed her...we headed for Faversham and a picnic lunch on the recreation ground where Pirate used to race grass track on his bike.

Coming back was more of a problem...the M2 was jammed because of Operation Brock sorting lorries to Dover..and as roads and lanes have changed with newer big roads being put in, what should have been straight back on a lane ended up being via Whitstable and Canterbury!!  Still, we managed it and it was a good day.

All the street name signs are this style, white on blue enamel.

We were so lucky that it happened to be market day!

Deliveries and collections..and a bike ride!

 

Barter! This plate has gone to Gatehouse of Fleet..in return for two pieces of beautiful wood, this one and a planed one that I already have.

"Kind words are the music of the world"

On to Castle Douglas to collect my clock. The clockmaker had missed a worn bush when he overhauled it last year, so if it stopped before being re-wound it refused to tick!

Now it is ticking nicely and keeping good time. However being older and on its original spring, won't go the full seven days. It is good to have it back on my wall.

As we were in Castle Douglas, what better reason for a bike ride and exploring new roads to us.

We chose one of the routes from a local cycling leaflet, and headed for Palnackie on the water of Urr. 

An attractive and lively small village with chandlery, community run village shop, school, artist with bookshop and gallery, pub, glass workshop, nice older houses and new ones being built.

Plus it has a decent bus service! All this and only 7 miles from Castle Douglas and 3 from Dalbeattie.

The Harbour Dog

Chandlery with various vehicles!

Not sure when these last went out! The Harbour used to be flushed out every tide using a sluice gate on the burn that flows there.

This one, originally from St Malo, I think, but once called Willem, now La Malouine ,a metal ship restored as a training ship, last sailed out three weeks ago.

Looking towards the sea.

Pirate received a phone call while we were looking around...we were due to meet friends back in CD for lunch...they were heading for Dalbeattie, early! Luckily it is a flattish ride to there.

Lunch in the garden centre..and retrace wheeltracks as we wanted to explore Palnackie a little more and it was the least hilly way back to the car!!

I think we will return again, and park there for a walking explore - and not go on early closing day for the village shop!

Stair

 The river Ayr...and the bridge at Stair..the first time we've seen it from this angle!

 dog gate..

 I wonder if the hamlet was once a sizeable village...the church has two graveyards and the second graveyard extension has been started

 about five generations of William Murdochs here

 a 1700s memorial stone..this looked like the oldest

 .........

 the Stair Inn at stair has plenty of stairs!  I heard that it is supposed to be haunted...but I didn't sense anything

 and beautiful wood furniture

 and very nice beer that we've only seen in bottles until now

We've booked some of the Pirate's family in here..they will be up for a family meal just after his 80th birthday

taking the chance

With cold and possibly wet or snowy weather forecast this weekend I decided to forgo driving the hour to Glasgow velodrome for an hour on the track..and went out in the sunshine.
It was beautiful..I only needed a gilet instead of a jacket, although there was a stiff chilly breeze.

 I ventured along a lane new to me

 neglected coppice

 The old A frame from the Barony Pit, next to the woodchip power station

 ANOTHER hill!

 I love the name of this group of houses just outside our village..."Henry's Place"

 home just as clouds were building up