Winter....Spring....Winter....

We've just foraged about a ton of dead elm tree from a verge (here that is fair game for anyone...you just don't go the other side of the ditch,wall or fence...)

It is sad to burn elm, a beautiful wood. However this is full of bug holes, and bootlace (Honey) fungus so no furniture maker would have wanted it.
One more year there and it wouldn't have been good for firewood either.

The rain and snow are still here and the sun tempts us out...and sometimes we believe it!  The wind is sometimes scary..especially with a rather aged looking ash tree by the gate. We hear of bridges closed or with speed/traffic restrictions, of ferries delayed or canceled....we're itching to be traveling,to be out and away...watching the weather and counting the pennies....

Hare print progress

The first print run with oil based ink!...took ages to dry. I must learn how to thin the ink a little ..there is a thing called linseed reducing jelly...probably easier to use than straight linseed oil.
 I'd started folding and packing the cards, when we had a power cut yesterday afternoon. After a cuppa brewed on the camping stove we ventured out for a two mile walk 'round the block'...still no power as we returned to a beautifully quiet house. 
No freezer and fridge noise, no boiler or central heating pipe noise....

We sat in front of the woodburner, having turned appliances off as one is directed...and relaxed....and only realized that the kitchen light was on when we went to make supper..and had been on for half an hour!

cycling in the sun!!!!

Eventually....the bikes were ready before 10am....several showers later, at 12.40 we started out!!
It was chilly, the roads damp, the wind strong but at last the sun was shining for more than five minutes!

We were both road rusty, having just been riding our bikes on the turbo trainers...set up his and hers together in the living room!

The first four miles took us over 20 minutes...The Pirate was considering turning for home....but then he thought "it's a lovely sunny day......"
We hadn't realized that the main road to Stranraer, A77, was closed in Maybole...and the diversion was past Culzean, just the way we were taking!!
All the A77 traffic, the coach trips out,the Sunday drivers, the lorries...
We had thought of turning right off this road for a short diversion.. plans changed with all this traffic.Straight down to the cafe in Maidens village.

Sitting in the cafe we looked across the green to the harbour, where  we could see the waves were breaking high across the bar.  They have been over the harbour cob wall on previous visits....

We turned back,but not along the A road but by the road near the beach, through a caravan park to the western end of the Culzean Estate.
Through the estate in the shelter of the trees , forgoing another cafe stop, and up to the main road at the main entrance.   A short hop of a mile along the road to look at something down a side lane...then the bright idea of heading along the coast road to avoid the traffic...

Unfortunately much of the diverted traffic was coming the same way.....at least less than had been heading West...
Still,it was good to have an amount of wind assistance for a change!

Just before the edge of Alloway we transferred to the cycle / footpath,a nice wide smooth clean route...an ex-railway thanks to Mr Beeching.
Through tunnels and over a river bridge to come up by the Burns Experience Museum in Alloway.   Then a quick hop over the bypass to the lanes to Dalrymple.
The shorter way was over Ballycoach and Guiltree Hill...but the longer valley route was chosen for the last five miles home and we were very glad to be going with the wind for the last three...

A steady ride of just over 40 miles, but all in the sun.

A great change to this morning when at 6.45 am it was chilly,the car lightly frosted,the air still and the sky red.
Within an hour it was back to blowing a hoolie, with rain and snow thrown in for good measure .We're even having to keep our house door locked to stop the wind blowing in!

Back to coffee and Hawthorn's luscious malt loaf in front of the fire before a session on the turbo.

Then some more linoprinting, of which more later.....

we're cooking on gas!

Today, after The Pirate had had his teeth X-rayed and we'd had a hot chocolate to celebrate, we returned home to do more tidying and pickling...

We have found a way of making preserves on the electric stove...

not as good as a real gas stove..and long slow cooking does use up the canisters quite quickly....but I can now actually BOIL something...and today's lime marmalade needed 221 degrees F to get a set....
Mango Chutney followed and Beetroot with Purple Carrot winterspice chutney is in the pan waiting for more heat....

We've sold the crosstrainer..useful, but it took up a huge amount of space that we don't have spare. Delivered that this evening, and having had to split the 'arms' and control panel from the rest to get it in the car, found it quite a game to get it back together, especially when a bolt dropped inside where it shouldn't!
there was also a spring washer that sprung away....

We're both feeling tired, but the weather on top of everything doesn't help.
Hopefully when the house gets a little tidier after some more sorting we'll feel better too!

Escape!

We drove away to find some SUN today....through rain/snow showers,over the hills to Dumfries.
Coffee and cake in Gracefields Arts centre cafe, then wander round the exhibitions and craft/art shop while The Pirate went for physio on his shoulder.
Doesn't seem almost a year since we were there,but there they were again......

Well, that is last March's photo..surprisingly they are a little behind this year in growth.

We had intended to visit the Yellow Door gallery,but had lunch with friends who are on their way to Gran Canaria for some stronger warmer sun!

Directly then,in the sunshine to Castle Douglas, a place we enjoy.
A good wholefood shop where I tried not to spend too much....and again  in the Art and Craft and gemstones and wool and...and....and....shop.....escaped with minimum supplies!!
Onwards to collect a box of biscuited berry bowls and a box of Pots for the Raffle during the Scottish Potters' weekend.
Unfortunately Hannah isn't well....lots of virtual hugs sent her way....and we hope to see her again soon.

The plan then was to call by a photographer in Lauriston...gallery closed, but we'll see them during the Spring Fling.
Next stop the Catstrand Arts Centre and Cafe in New Galloway...closed due to flood damage...try again, the village shop and cafe in Cairsphairn.....shut at 3.15pm, after we'd almost driven through a fantastic rainbow .

After that, with the rain showers easing, we just came home, with a little light wood foraging on the way.

The woodstove had gone cold, first time in weeks, so it got a good clearout...Now it is nicely toasting our toes as we chat via facebook with old friends from the 60s in Southampton, who emigrated to Canada!
I'm glad it is going well, as the oil fired boiler is beginning to show signs of age and lack of maintenance. (and no, we've never seen any safety certificate for that or the electrics here!!

The Pirate is writing our training diary...we bought a page a day diary today for the princely sum of 50p!! Far better than a calendar or sundry odd bits of paper.
Now we have to keep up the training and he has to keep up the writing!!

I had intended to cook some Lime Marmalade on our camping stove...the electric cooker here doesn't like boiling things, so preserving is difficult to say the least! It will sit and wait in the maslin pan until tomorrow......

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!

printing progress

Hare we go!! 

  Thanks to yeractual...another use for the fruit pulp pusher through sieves....a baren for rubbing the back of the paper to ensure a good print.     Just trying with water based ink to start with.