Moderate exercise

Today’s guest picture shows the delightful Obelisk Thatched Cottage at Hopetoun, South Queensferry, near Edinburgh.  It was spotted by our son Tony.

In spite of trying to get some high quality relaxation in the last two weeks and not actually doing very much on many days, there has been enough excitement to keep me feeling a little less than 100% so I took the opportunity of vast quantities of Winter Olympic fun on the telly to have a very quiet morning in today.

I did look out of the kitchen window at lunchtime to check on the birds.  The usual suspects were about.

There were a good number of siskins on the feeder at one time and I was impressed by the tenacity of one of them when there was no official perch available.

After lunch, I decided that the day was too good not to go for a cycle ride, the first for a fortnight.  The thermometer showed 6°C so there was no danger of ice and after a heavy shower in the morning, the weather looked reasonable.  I haven’t checked out my fairly speedy bike yet so I got out the slow bike. This was probably a good idea anyway under the circumstances.

As you are not supposed to re-use a bike helmet after it has been banged in a crash and my special biking spectacles were ruined, I had to wear my old mountain bike helmet and some ski goggles.    No one laughed as I set off but that was only because no one saw me go.

I was grateful for the protection of the ski goggles because there was a strong and very nippy wind blowing in my face as I went up the Wauchope Road and the goggles certainly keep you very snug.

The sunshine was very welcome but there was enough snow left on the distant hills to remind me that the recent chilly weather had only warmed up a little bit.

The goggles didn’t help when I was taking pictures so I don’t know what I was intending to shoot when I took this one…

…but I liked the result in a strange sort of way when I saw it on my computer.

I think that I was trying to take this picture….

…to show the cloudscape. Luckily the clouds stayed away and I got round dry.

I cut my customary 20 mile Canonbie circle down to 16 miles.  This was more than enough on the slow bike and a windy day.  I seem hardly to have cycled at all in the last three and a half months so I am by no means pedal fit.

I was quite happy to stop for a photo op  or two when I got down to the Esk Valley.  This is Hollows Mill….

…which has got both a  working water wheel and an Archimedes screw, thus getting the best out of traditional and more modern technology.

A few hundred yards further on, I stopped at Gilnockie Tower….

…a fine example of a peel tower.  It has recently become the home of the Armstrong Clan Association and the interior has been extensively restored, with work still ongoing.

Although not fully finished, it is open to the public and I was given a brief tour by Miriam, the helpful guide.

As you can see from the external windows, the tower has four upper floors.  The ground floor was used as a store for cattle in the event of a raid.

The first floor is the main hall and has now got a modern stove whihc was keeping the place a lot warmer than it would have been in previous centuries.

The floor above has been restored as a bedroom.  It has an original discreet privy…

…and a newly made four poster bed.

I went up as far as the third floor, which will be a children’s activity room, and admired one of the new windows.  This gives an idea of the thickness of the tower walls…

…and also offers a splendid view of the Esk.

As my distaste for heights makes the joy of climbing up narrow spiral staircases lessen considerably after several flights, I didn’t go to the top floor but you can see a piper who didn’t have my phobias if you visit this link.

There is a very entertaining video on the site which shows the castle and its site to the best advantage.

Leaving the tower, I cycled on past Irvine House….

…and so came home  at the dazzling speed of exactly 10 mph.  But at least I didn’t fall off.

Mrs Tootlepedal had been busy in the garden working on the new plans for the middle lawn and flowerbeds.

When I got in, I spent a moment or two looking at the birds.  Greenfinches fly in a gloomy sort of way even on a sunny day…

…and they don’t look much more cheerful even while they are enjoying a free meal.

My various cuts have healed up so I was able to enjoy the luxury of a shower which was very welcome.   All I need now is some light winds and warm days and I will be back in full cycling mode.   Mind you, I am well behind my targets.  I should have done at least 400  miles by this time of year (I did 570 by the end of February last year) but I have only done 200 miles so far.  I may have to do what the government does when it fails to hit its targets.  Change the target.

In the evening, I made baked eggs in spinach with a cheese sauce for our tea so all in all, in spite of a slow start, it turned out to be quite a good day.

The flying bird of the day is a siskin.