No guest picture of the day today (hint, hint) and a rather dull blog, The picture below gives a clue as to why that should be.
I was hoping to go a bit further but I got to bed too late last night and didn’t get up early enough today so that by the time that I finally got out on the bike, it was rather warm and by the time that I got back, it was decidedly too hot for comfort at 22°C and I was glad to stop pedalling.
The route is mainly flat and with little wind, there was no time for free wheeling so it was hard work all the way round. I stopped at the WWT at Caerlaverock, not to admire the wild life….
but to take advantage of their very reasonably priced coffee shop for lunch. The scrambled eggs in toast were superb. The fairly speedy bike enjoyed the rest too.
I have had quite a few pictures of gorse in the blog this spring as it has been glorious but it is being easily surpassed for yellowness by the broom now. I saw this bunch beside the road as I set off for home.
I came back along the coast to Gretna and was pleased to get a little cool air off the sea as I pedalled along. I stopped on the way back for a cup of tea and a slice of cake at the old Toll House at Gretna….
…which in my case was the last house on Scotland, not the first as I was going south at the time. They have a pair of clocks inside which helpfully tell you the time in Scotland and England….
…and I see that sadly we seem to have slipped a minute behind.
I usually like to do something useful in the garden after a bike ride when my muscles are nicely warmed up but on this occasion, I was absolutely drained and did nothing. In spite of a lot of moaning about the recent chilly weather, I don’t like hot weather very much, or perhaps it doesn’t like me and today was just too hot. Still, I was very pleased to have done the second longest ride of the year (and 170 miles in the last four days) without much in the way of complaints from my new knee. And I really shouldn’t complain about an almost cloudless warm day of the sort that we thought might never arrive this year.
Those interested can see details of the ride here.
I did have just enough energy to walk round the garden before retiring indoors for a sit down. The sun was beginning to get lower in the sky and was lighting up the flowers very prettily.
And that was it for the day. Early bed tonight.
A flying bee deputises as flying bird of the day.
Very much enjoyed the feast of flowers in your garden. So pleased to read of all those miles cycled, your knee must be coming on nicely.
The flowers are lush and the bee is amazing. We have the same weather over on this side of the Atlantic, but it doesn’t look as good as yours.
Our countryside is very beautiful on a good day and we are always grateful to live in such a lovely place.
One of these days I’ll learn to tell instantly the difference between broom and gorse…
I had to look twice.
Wow. That was quite a ride. I’m impressed. Love the flower photos.
A carefully chosen flat route.
I can’t imagine riding 73 miles on a bike. I’m wiped out after 10, but those miles are usually done on gravelly rail trails that are sometimes so soft you can hardly pedal your way through. I rarely ride on pavement.
The flowers are all beautiful but my favorite shot is of the lupine.
I hate riding on gravel so 10 miles would be more than enough for me too. Bikes are at their best on smooth tarmac when they can really fly. Our roads are tarred but they are often pretty bumpy.
I admire your peddling prowess!
Practice makes perfect as my mother used to say. (I haven’t got the hang of it in any other area of my life though.)
Congratulations on a good long cycle ride. Our temperatures didn’t get above 15 degrees C today but we had some nice sunshine this afternoon. I like your Veronica with its ballet shoes and the Scotch Burnet Rose is very pretty.
It’s not often that we are warmer than you.
🙂
I happy for you that you had some better, although maybe too warm, weather for a long ride, even if that means fewer photos for us to look at.
The flowers are really beginning to hit their stride and are a true pleasure to see!
I shouldn’t grumble. The muscles appreciate some warm weather a lot.
Well done for managing such a long ride. No wonder you were tired when you got in. Some lovely flower pictures, especially the Scotch Burnet rose.
Sorry that it was so hot for the ride but everything is singing in that sunshine.
The flowers are enjoying the good spell.
How can you say this is rather a dull blog! I was very pleased you were able to have such a long ride. I can’t remember the last time I went on a ride like that. Well done. And you included a beautiful collection of flower shots as well. It must have been warm for you to need 3 bottles.
It was 23 degrees C which is very hot for me. 18 degrees is my perfect temperature.
An impressive ride!
I was very cross when I checked the records and found that it was only the second longest of the year.
It seems too often that’s the way the weather goes — from too cold to too hot in a blink, with very little or no mild in between. We were miserably warm here yesterday, too, and no A/C for us yet. Congratulations on a nice long cycle. I’m glad to hear the knee gave you no complaints. That must be very encouraging for you.
It is. It still gets a little swollen from time to time but mostly, I don’t have to think about it all.
Your gorse looks much prettier than ours.
Exceptional garden close ups today. Ballet shoes! Bee!
I complain as bitterly about too much heat as I do about too much wind. Perfect weather is so rare.
Gorse is considered so noxious here that homeowners are supposed to get rid of it. Scotch broom is also considered a terrible problem as it takes over native habitat and grazing fields. It seems well behaved in its native land.
It seems to thrive without spreading savagely.
Lovely area for cycling around Caerlaverock. My auntie and uncle stayed in St John’s Town of Dalry and I used to stay there during the summer and cycle round the area with my cousins.
With the Brompton I can put it on the X74 bus from Hamilton and go to Dumfries for the day and cycle round the area. Last time I was the only passenger who paid – the rest used their concessionary bus tickets!
I sometimes feel a bit shifty about using my bus pass but it is at least keeping the bus services going.
I guess the weather is never quite doing what we want it to. The garden is looking lovely and I like the flying bee.
I am always happy to see a bee.
That’s some serious cycling, well done!
Taken at a steady pace and most enjoyable. It is a treat when the wind drops for once.