Out and about

Today’s guest picture was very kindly sent to me by reader Thomas Thurston from America. It shows what he saw from his bedroom window this morning. It is a bit of a contrast to our siskins.

The first part of our day was taken up by driving to Annan, so that I could revisit the dentist who had filled a tooth for me recently. The filling had not gone well, and I had been suffering from severe toothache for the last couple of days, so it was no surprise when he took the offending tooth out today. We made good use of the trip to Annan, as Mrs Tootlepedal was able to buy two zips for clothes that she is making, and while I was getting treated, she was roaming the aisles of a nearby supermarket. I picked her up there after my extraction, and we drove home.

To take my mind off a sore mouth, I wandered round the garden when we got back, both before and after lunch.

I was banned by the dentist from cycling for the day, so later in the afternoon, I went off for a gentle walk instead. It was a pretty good day for a walk . . .

. . . and as well as buying an ice cream at the Kilngreen, I spent some time there watching a pied wagtail feeding a youngster. I have never seen this before, so I am putting in a little gallery of pictures to celebrate.

I left the harassed wagtail parent to it, and walked up the slope past the Estate offices, and strolled along the Baggra. It was very dry underfoot, and with a plethora of wild flowers and greenness on every side, it took my mind off any lingering discomfort that I might have felt if I had been sitting around at home feeling sorry for myself.

There were too many attractions, and I took far more pictures than was sensible. I am squeezing just some of them in here.

(In the interests of accuracy. I have to admit that the last two pictures in the panel above were not taken along the Baggra but later on the walk. I put them there to fill up the panel.)

I looked about as well as down.

If I go to paradise when I die, it might look a bit like that last picture I suppose. I put that, my favourite picture of the day, last so it is not in order. The rest were taken as I walked along.

I walked over the High Mill Brig, and down the main road to Whitshiels. As the day remained set fair, I decided to walk up the hill road as far as my favourite pine trees, and then head along the hill to Whita Well. More pictures followed.

I came home down the track to the Kirk Wynd, enjoying the view, and some late rhododendrons on the golf course.

I received a warm welcome from the garden when I got back to our front gate.

That filled the afternoon up very nicely, and I had recovered from the dentist by the time that I got home. Some cauliflower cheese for tea rounded off the day very well.

The flying bird of the day is another siskin.