An improving day

As we had a very wet and grey morning here, I am pleased to have an East Wemyss dawn as the guest picture of the day by way of a contrast. Tony was up early again.

It was so wet here in the morning that Dropscone came round in his car for coffee instead of cycling as he normally does. The treacle scones were just as good as usual though. When he left with some runner beans, I did some cooking. I made a batch of oatmeal and raisin biscuits and a pot of potato soup. The biscuits were good but the soup could only be classed as rather dull.

I had a look to see if the birds were enjoying the weather and found several candidates for the most miserable bird of the day.

One sparrow was not bothered. It was tucking in regardless.

The feeder got busier as I watched.

After lunch, I put a good number of entries into the Archive Group newspaper database, finishing one week and starting another and then, since the rain had eased off, I took a damp walk round the garden. It was so gloomy that the nicotiana thought that it was the evening and had stayed out.

The tall daisies were my favourites today.

A check on the forecast suggested that the rain might have finally passed over us by this time, so I put on my walking boots and went for a stroll. By agreement with my legs, no hills were to be involved today and I started along the river where I met two wagtails . . .

. . . several ducks . . .

. . . and my friend Mike Tinker who was also out for a walk. We chatted for a while and watched one of the wagtails and the water going under the Town Bridge.

I walked on up the main road to the High Mill Brig. There, under a watchful eye from a spyhole . . .

. . I walked up round the field to the end of the Baggra. I had company in the form of a pheasant.

It was remarkably dry underfoot in spite of the heavy overnight rain . . .

. . . and I had leisure to look around as I went along.

During this part of the walk, there were some early autumn colours to be enjoyed.

I came down on to the Castleholm where I could see the preparations for the Langholm Show which takes place this Saturday.

Sticking to low ground, I went across the Castleholm and the Jubilee Bridge, round the Scholars’ Field, where young girls were getting some football coaching, along Eskdaill Street, and then up to Pool Corner and along to the Auld Stane Brig. It was good to see some water running down the rivers and streams.

At the Auld Stane Brig, I turned and headed back towards the town along Gaskell’s Walk. Fungi in various states of health and disrepair could be found here.

Rabbits have been busy in the banking beside the new path.

At the Stubholm, I rejected the opportunity to take the quick route home and went along the Murtholm to Skippers Bridge before walking home on the other side of the river. I picked a few hazelnuts for Mrs Tootlepedal as I went along, and looked across the river just before I got to Skippers.

I found interest along the way.

I was surprised that some fungus which had looked very fresh when I saw it yesterday, had started to go over today.

I found that I had done six and a half miles by the time that I got home, further than yesterday but with only a third of the ascent.

After our evening meal, we went out to a practice for a centenary concert which the Langholm Amateur Operatic Society is presenting next spring. Rather to my dismay, the musical detector told us that not only will we will have to learn the songs by heart, but there will be movement too. This may prove to be more than I can cope with. I enjoyed the singing though.

It was an unusual experience to walk home in the dark. We have not had a night out for a long time.

There is a miscellany of flying birds today.