More walkies

 I had a parcel to post (fleabay) and a special shop to go to in Troon.....

Bus to town, post parcel, buy sandwich, cookies and water...bus to Prestwick Airport....and start walking.....

Bye bye bus...

After a mile the path leaves the main road

But it is still a bit noisy....you can hear birds and cars..the video is at the end if this post...it doesn't want to slot it in the middle !

Two kinds of lines in the sky....

And two kinds of planes.... British Airways plane doing "circuits and bumps", doing the approach...but as soon as it reaches the first end of the runway, doesn't actually land, but goes up again...and round....every ten minutes!!

This is for trainee pilots and for trained pilots to keep their certificates, they take turns as it goes around...and round ...and round...

And a wee 'un...sounding like a tractor... probably with a similar engine...

And another flier.....a hover fly on honeysuckle flowers

Lichen on a dead gorse bush...such colour!!

Along by the railway line which links Glasgow to Stranraer, via Ayr and Girvan, with golf courses both sides....and to the road into Troon...

I buy my multivitamins and minerals in one, tablets here...ones that I can swallow without gagging!!

With luck, the shop is almost opposite the bus stop...and in five minutes, the hourly bus is there to return to Ayr....

I eat my sandwich on the bus....I was not going to risk having it taken by a gull!

Time for a cuppa in the best bookshop in Ayr, then home for a rest, then a little garden tidying in the sunshine.

Thinking of flooding in all parts of the globe....Japan, Europe, USA, Asia...and now New Zealand...

Getting out

 I spent most of today sorting and tidying...doing an hour at a time then having a break..worn out clothes getting the heave ho...his and mine...and setting aside those unneeded..his and mine! 

There are some things that I haven't looked at yet.... because I need to reduce my "spare tyre" before trying them on.....

An old coffee/child's play / work table has gone on farcebook marketplace locally..that gets collected tomorrow.  I can't remember where we got it from...but Pirate would never refuse an offer..even if we had no need or space for something!! At least now it has found someone who needs it.

All that done so time for a walk...round Hannahston, with a diversion to see how the future foraging may be.... An hour well spent.

Only one variety of wild pears has survived...again...and no plums...but the cooking apple looks promising as well as all the other apples.



First garlic lifting..the tops haven't dried, but this won't matter for these...they will be used quick enough!

Freezing the last of the gooseberries...I was glad to see that although I picked them early, they have carried on ripening..and where they are dark red they are delicious! Two boxes with 1½ lb each ( a total of 1360 g for those in metric) ..add the 2¼ lb in the jam, and a couple of handfuls om top of that...well over 5lb in total..not bad atall.

Getting nearer

 Pirate is really ready for his op..I just wish that he had seen the light months earlier....but that is past, now we deal with what is. 

He also has the same pre race nerves as when he was racing... understandably!

We managed a short walk after a late lunch...after even a short siesta he takes an hour to get going...the mattress topper has made our bed far too comfortable!!  We checked the frogspawn pond..nothing yet...although yesterday just down from our home I saw a car squashed toad on the road...

The forecast was for overcast and 10% chance of rain...we had light rain and blue sky on our walk, and very inquisitive sheep.

Then shopping for new knickers, 'jamas, dressing gown and sliders...

Ready for tomorrow morning.

Dragon!

 We are in Wales, so....

There are dragons on the gateposts where we are staying!

We had a quieter day today, just a short walk up the lane ( definitely up!!) before lunch.

Everything is still very green, hazel branches in the hedgerow with new leaves, brambles flowering..at least the ivy flowering is usual

Lunch with daughter and son in law..and as they work from home, a chance to see their garden...and be envious! A proper walk in fruit cage...fruit trees....the base down for greenhouse number three....

Then a short trip into Aberystwyth for food shopping...and a short walk on the prom was planned.

That was scuppered by the heavy rain that started as I came out of the shop....

Back "home" to relax by the stove while Pirate rested.

Life goes on....

our garden assistants...I think that they are outnumbered!

The kumera was being disturbed by cats using the bed as a litter tray...the fence will do for now!

There will be supports for the squash to climb....

Pirate decided to relieve the broad beans of their slug attackers!

 The garden is thankful for the rain...and the waterbutts are full! We are heading for Ayr tomorrow so I might pick up a couple more...and some guttering!

I looked at the " gallery " and it is getting full of bike bits portraits!   

Mainly seatposts and saddles at the moment...but still a lot of work cleaning and researching. The second one is probably American, an early triathlon model. Unfortunately no company name or logo.

Yesterday evening we returned to the Glasgow Velodrome, for a mainly Masters session..with the national championships nearing, riders are honing techniques and trying best kit to ensure all will go well.

Pirate did two two lap efforts, enough to get him feeling good...and he wore the shirt that his Australian coach, Harry Shaw won twenty two years ago in the world championships, then gave to Pirate as a present.  (Harry lives near Noosa above Brisbane and is ten years older)

It was good to see clubmates and friends..the two in the photo drive four hours to do this three hour session...then four hours home to near Elgin and Forres!!

Back to cleaning today...Pirate did the living room and I did my study! 

Bike bits were taking over the living room...not a good look! Now we can relax a bit better with a tidy room...and not worry about what visitors will think!!