Chilling out

Today’s guest picture comes from our son Alistair. He enjoyed this creatively titled pile of logs.

The day started off being cold and grey, and it kept this up, with the temperature topping out at 6°C in the afternoon. On the plus side, it stayed dry all day, except for the exact moment when we were considering a visit to the graveyard where I have undertaken to photograph all the headstones. As we got ready to go, rather reluctantly as it was cold and windy, it started to drizzle lightly. We gave up and did other things, and of course, the moment that we decided not to go, the drizzle faded away.

I took a walk round the garden, and found a plump blackbird, some promising rhubarb, remarkably cheery pulmonaria, and the first doronicum of the year.

After a look at the birds, where chaffinches were once again to the fore . . .

. . . we went round to the butcher’s. On the way back, I went into the Buccleuch Centre and booked tickets for a concert by a Cumbrian male voice choir next month.

Other birds were competing at the bird feeder when I got home. The was a positive whirlwind of flying feathers whenever I looked, as siskins, greenfinches and goldfinches got involved with the chaffinches.

When I looked at my pictures, I thought that I had taken one of a chaffinch using a super hero death ray on another bird.

It took me a moment to work out what I was looking at.

Mrs Tootlepedal made the best of a bad day by doing her cycling on her indoor bike to nowhere, while watching the first series of the West Wing on DVD. I put the best part of a week of the newspaper index into the Archive Group database. Then I had an early lunch as I was hoping that the afternoon might warm up a little if I went for an outing on my electric bike.

It didn’t warm up, but at least the brisk breeze was behind me as I pedalled over Callister. I could see Criffel under a cloud in the distance.

The wind blew me gaily along the Lockerbie road to Tundergarth. I passed Paddockhole Bridge, some early primroses, and a favourite view of the Water of Milk.

I turned left at Tundergarth school and headed up to the top of the ridge. It is a steep climb but you get rewarded by excellent views on the way up . . .

. . . and more once you are over the top.

I looked out for the reservoir as I came down the hill to Middlebie, but someone had taken it away.

I stopped for a snack at the Mein Water viaduct, but no train came along, so I pedalled on through Eaglesfield until I came to the Kirtle Water, and took a picture of the bridge there. There is an impressively eroded bank just downstream from the bridge.

By this time, I was pedalling back into the wind, and even with electrical assistance, I was finding it hard work.

I took a couple of pictures (and today’s header) as I went up to Gair . . .

. . . and I wasn’t intending to take any more, but just to try to get home and out of the cold wind as quickly as possible as I went along the Solwaybank road.

However, an unexpected burst of colour stopped me in my tracks at Solwaybank itself. I thought that it deserved a full size gallery.

The last seven miles home were a bit of a penance, after what had been a very enjoyable outing so far, and I was glad to get out of the cold when I got back. The 32 miles I had covered took me just over 300 miles for the month so far.

Mrs Tootlepedal had planted some broad beans in the greenhouse while I was out, but had wisely decided that it was too chilly for outdoor gardening.

My final look at the birds for the day showed a great tit having a late visit to the feeder. The chaffinches had gone home.

It says that it is going to be a bit warmer tomorrow, but as that may well come with more wind and some rain, our rapture will be modified.

The flying bird of the day is a goldfinch, sensibly deciding not to upset a greenfinch.

Footnote: I append a map of today’s outing. Those interested can click on the map for further details. You can see that it wasn’t a flat route today.