Weekend and meeting again

 Saturday the thermostat was fitted, so we took a run down to Girvan to check it.....working fine! 

Sat on the prom in the car watching Ailsa Craig play "now you see me , now you don't".....and drive back home...at least I went along the two different roads along the Girvan Valley!!

Sunday we were up and out early (ish!) and drove down to Cally Woods in the Cally Palace estate at Gatehouse of Fleet.

There we met friends that we haven't seen since 1996 when they left Garn Dolbenmaen, two years before we did!!

She used to childmind #3 and #4 in exchange for grazing for her Shetland sheep on my spare fields.

They were there with their two children, now 39 and 37 ( ?) and their dog, an English Setter who was itching to get going!

A good walk ensued..and we found a motte as well!!

Then to the Iron Brew café in Gatehouse for drinks and cakes and more talk!!

I had a short wander around the town with The Oily One...I need to get back there early one nice morning with the camera...

Back home through rain showers and time for a late lunch and relax.

Celebration

 Happy whatever you celebrate ❤️

I started working on a block yesterday 

Pencil rubbing to check

Oops... forgot to take the shine off the block with fine Wet and Dry...

That's better!

I will print up some business cards in a minute using all the small blocks.

Good practice.  

I won't open any ink, just use the stamping ink pads...less mess to clean up !!

I had a few messages yesterday and one phone call.

Messages this morning..one friend visiting her mother on the Isle of Man has woken up with no voice after a night of coughing..a busy girl now having enforced rest!

Another friend is just back from a trip to NZ where a friend had a lovely wedding in Te Anau.

I might be getting a phone call today from another friend...

And hopefully the Oily One will be here... maybe tomorrow!!

It is all grey and damp out there...but it is forecast a bit better by midday, so a walk just might be in order.

Festive Fun

 Last night was the end of season race night, for all ages and abilities...Pies and Pursuits...the Pies being mince pie prizes!

The pursuits were 8 lap (2 km) long in teams of three or four ( time taken on the third over the line) and there were also team sprints...start with three and the lead rider peels off after a lap, same again then one to finish.

And the commissaires had fun as well.....

I had to get a shot of her hat...

And the riders did too...

You can guess who won the pursuit (after several rounds)...

My club womens team

Our Transplant Star

And home late... getting back as the Weather kicked in!!

Disappeared day...

 Yesterday sort of disappeared, doing all those bitty jobs..

This was the final version of this year's card...they won't all arrive for Xmas, but it will be contact maintained..

It was good to start the day with some blue sky...and it did improve, nicely sunny with a bitter wind....the foretaste of this weekend?

And this morning...it was Friday... somehow although I've kept track of the numbers, the days left me behind!! This morning's job has been making the living room a welcoming place...things have been sorted so that each variety of Stuff isn't here and there...

Which is a great improvement...but I've reached the point where every surface is covered...so it is coffee and toast time then the last push..even if it all goes in a tray To Be Sorted this weekend as if the forecast is correct, I won't be going anywhere!!

Recycling collection missed...but not much to collect so that can wait.

Thankfully no appointments missed..as I checked straight away!

And if the weather doesn't turn pear shaped early (80 mph gusts forecast for Saturday) I can go out tonight to see friends.

Visiting

 Monday's washing done, I phoned a friend to see if she was over the cold that she had last week...and she was!!

Off in the car this time..a bus does go through their village, but not very often! Getting there would mean a bus to Ayr...a bus to Girvan...then a bus that goes out through their small hamlet!

Different roads to those on the weekend..not one A road, all B or C !

But worth it for the views...

It wasn't quite as dark as that...but if I lighten the image, I lose the shaft of sunlight 

31 miles and just over an hour's drive...but worth it to catch up with friends, first Pirate's then ours.

Lunch together, and talking through the afternoon until just after 3...and time to get home just as night fell.

On the return journey the sun was setting behind me, a bright yellow  ..it would just have burnt out to white in any photo, but it was beautiful and lit up the dried beech leaves and dead bracken with a lovely glowing light.

Improving

 Today started clear and still..and was even at 7⁰ at lunchtime!

Still a trifle fresh..so I concentrated on reducing Stuff... starting with a boxful of all sorts.....that could just have been chucked out...good thing I didn't.

I found our original wedding certificate that I've been hunting for for years...a few addresses on bits of paper that will go in the address book at last... important souvenirs of my racing career... useful things that will go to the workshop...mostly sorted properly now, and a carrier bagful of bits in the bin.

I've gathered two more small boxes of things to sort ... mostly important, but that have been "put on one side for Ron"....meaning later on!! I'll look at them tomorrow.

My bedroom is looking better...one box of "should I mend this" and another of various sewing things are now with sewing and fabric in another room.

After a nice chat on messenger with a friend yesterday and half an hour on the turbo I had a reasonable night's sleep, only being awake at one point for a short while.  A tidy bedroom should help that too.

After yesterday's bread disaster...it looked as if I hadn't added yeast, but that is the first thing that is measured out...

I changed from 50/50 white and wholemeal to 75/25 white and rye...as that is what was in the cupboard! 

Getting somewhere now!!

Today's turbo ride was a lot better too..it helps to have the right music...a request programme with Gary Innes on Radio Scotland... traditional, country, pipe music. I loved the title of one piece"the dashing white eejit" !!

Tomorrow's weather looks hopeful, so I've done the washing already..well, the machine has!! 

It all sounds busy busy...but not really....the sorting has meant a lot of sitting down.  The bread machine did all the hard work making the bread.

It is only 9.20 pm....time for a short Duolingo lesson then bed and book!

More skies

 Monday morning the clouds rolled in after a clear start

This next was  after an hour

And this at the front 

I was hoping for a parcel delivery...looks like it would be today, which meant escape for some daylight!!

Berries by the bus stop..still a few left after the fieldfares , redwings , starlings and blackbirds.

A two bus journey to Troon for a special shop..and for some reason I went the other way around the block...and met one of my best friends!!

After the shop, hot chocolate was in order..and in the café the woman serving us used to work (pre covid) in our favourite café in Prestwick!!

Cosmic chuckles all round!!

There happens to be a secondhand bookshop by the bus stop....another Joanne Harris book...and a ceramics book. Do I need more books? !!

Staying indoors

 I dislike staying indoors all day...but....

I woke again at 8am (there are some interesting programmes on in the wee small hours, especially by 5am!)...as it was so grey and dull compared to the past few mornings.

So I missed the recycling collection..no big deal, I don't have much in the recycling bucket stack.

I planned to go for a walk before the wind got up again...did my French practice..then as I made a cuppa in the kitchen I missed a call....no name but the number was half familiar... eventually I received another call and it was from a friend that I haven't seen for years..last time we did a trip through North Wales near where I used to live..she had met Pirate on that trip...and like everywhere he made a lasting impression. She hadn't realised that he had died...

We ended up chatting and catching up for about 1½ hours....at least !!

So next year must have a north Wales trip...so many friends to see there.

As I had my belated lunch the clouds roll in and the wind started whistling around the house again...

One job to be done outside...lift the last of this year's red beetroot..there are a few yellow left to come yet.

Then get on with cleaning a couple of chainrings to sell, as the next loaf baked...I'm trying the middle sized loaf this time. After that finished, time for the turbo..

Just over nine miles in 35 minutes...and the resistance up to 3 for the last 15 minutes...

The knack is to have the radio on and concentrate on that!! 

I'm not keen on it...but if it means better sleep and a healthier fitter me...I'll keep at it.