Holidays

This is a quick post to try uploading from my Kindle via safari and my cheap phone for pics. A surprisingly easy process. 

Guess where I've been this week? No cycling and I've managed to get my first cold of the year.

Dreich Places

An open assignment was sent by Pondero recently to post a little photo essay of a ride to a favourite place. I had hoped to get out over the weekend but a journey to Fife to try to sort out some family business put an end to my plans. 

Tuesday lunchtime and the wind had died down so I grabbed the chance for a cycle down to Barns Ness lighthouse. This isn't far, just one of those little hour or so rides that is easy to fit into life and provides some welcome peace.

The snow has melted and the ice is gone from the verges. Unfortunately however, the settled spell of cold weather has been replaced by high winds and driving rain. 

The road is quickly replaced by a shared walking/cycling trail. There was a cold rain blowing so I turned off the track at the old campsite. The limestone quarry is expanding nearby but in the meantime the disused paths provided an easy route to a place to shelter.

I hid from the rain under a pine tree and soaked up the view out over a cold looking North Sea. A rabbit came tearing along a track in the grass in front of me, closely followed by a murderous wee stoat. They disappeared into the longer grass so I don't know the outcome. The rabbit would most likely get away in the open.

A flask of hot coffee, some shelter form the wind and rain and time to just sit and watch. 

Back on the trail and home to a dreich Dunbar.

Ice Road Trucker*

*I know it's a predictable header, but I couldn't help myself.

I spent a long time thinking about going out for a cycle today. As I sat with a coffee looking out the window the snow was falling and a cold easterly wind was whipping flurries across the roof tops. Cranking up the heating and staying in watching nonsense on television seemed an appealing option. It took until mid-afternoon before I got my act together and wobbled out on the 'trucker and headed to the hills.

The skies were heavy with snow so the pictures are a bit dark. It was also a bit nippy as I climbed up past Bowerhouse.

I may look like a reject from the cycle battalion of the Mujahideen, but I was warm.

These ladies were scratching around without much luck. They were also quite silent. None of the usual clucking and muttering that happy hens make. 

Onward and upward. Pitcox was a lovely winter scene. The trees provided some much appreciated shelter from the wind. All around was silence, just the vvrruuup-whish of my tyres cutting through the snow. You might just be able to make out some other tyre tracks. There is a set that looks suspiciously like a 'fat bike'. They had a square tread so they might be 'Nates'. Not many of them around.

I went back on to roads that had been ploughed and started back towards home.

As I set off back downhill the snow started again. Anything over twenty mph was like needles hitting exposed skin.

I was fast running out of daylight and my feet were getting cold, so time to get the head down and get back indoors. The temperature hovered around freezing while the sun was up. Food is short and I saw quite a lot of wildlife, grey squirrels, swans, snow buntings and long tail tits. Only an hour and a half (11miles), but a great cycle. If only I had gone out earlier.

Snow birds

This morning the snow was falling in that thick silent way that bodes for beautiful winter scenes but is a nightmare to drive in. The temperature picked up a bit and a thaw set in as the day went on.
I don't know who formed this little snow bird, but it cheered me up on my journeys.

It's back below freezing again this evening and I doubt I'll go out for a cycle tomorrow. I kind of like keeping my bones in the order they are supposed to be. Old age!

Saturday winter miles

I had things to do in Haddington today but as there was no particular time constraints I decided to head along on the trucker and take some pleasure from the trip.

The day had started with frosty pavements and ice in the fields. The peely wally winter sun tried it's best to bring some warmth but it was still baltic, although the roads at least were free of ice. The first six miles are quite flat until the climb starts past East Linton, over the river Tyne and on up Pencraig.

The gap on the tree line on the very far horizon is where I was roughly heading. It's a mile of steady climbing; I kept a slow pace today and I was soon up there looking back across the soggy fields towards the coast.

Dunbar on the horizon and the Edinburgh bus labouring up the hill.

After Pencraig there is an easy descent for half a mile or so and then I got into a steady pace along past Beanston for the next five miles to Haddington. This is where the trucker comes into it's own. Just eating up the miles but perfectly able to soak up the bumps and roadside detritus.

Business taken care of in Haddington, I went for a wee pedal around the town but the shadows were getting longer and there was a glint of frost creeping onto the verges.

I got the head down on the way back but the sun sets quickly at this time of year. Coming back into Dunbar and  the Chinese 'magic shine' light was doing it's job, lighting the way for me, and blinding oncoming cars.

Twenty five wintery miles. The temp was about 2 C but the 'feels like' temp was showing -2C (28f). I was fine with two skinny base layers, Altura jacket, buff and polartec gloves. My feet were cold but that's what I get for wearing lightweight shoes. Still better than being stuck indoors.

Mid week cycle 9th January

It was cold, it was dark, but it was great. I've been procrastinating when it comes to mid week cycles but the weather was calm this evening and the warmish daytime temp' means the frost won't start until tomorrow morning. So no excuses and off I went for an hour on the 'trucker.

My cheap wee Pentax compact isn't much use for low light shots as these noisy pics show. Also there was not that much to see! Most of the time I was quite content in my little bubble of light wandering along in the dark of the countryside.

Back home to the bright lights of Dunbar. The flag flying to the right of the street light is the Stars and Stripes. The building is where John Muir was born. It's good wee museum with various displays and some stuff sent over from California by that famous 'American', Arnold Schwarzenegger.

11 miles, 3 degrees C and SW 12mph.

Another Easy Sunday Cycle

A couple of easy hours on the 'trucker today. I just pedaled along little roads and tracks, taking it easy and following whichever path took my fancy. The sky was overcast so there wasn't much scope for pictures. Despite the dull weather, the car park at John Muir Country Park was busy with lots of folk out with dogs or horses.  There's still plenty of space for everyone. 

Back onto the road and I headed out in a loop by East Linton. This little memorial at Phantassie is dedicated to John Rennie who was born here and studied at Dunbar and Edinburgh before becoming a highly respected engineer. The list of canals, bridges and other civil works he designed is pretty extensive. In the foreground of the pic is the top of a baluster from Waterloo bridge which Rennie designed. Guess there must be a gap on the bridge.

The sky may have been cloudy but this meant that the temperature was up at 7 degrees C (44F) and the rain stayed away! The wind was also a light south westerly. A very relaxed 20 miles.

Update to this post!
As well as the baluster being used as a memorial at Phantassie, stone from Rennie's Waterloo bridge was shipped all over the world when it was demolished in the 1920's. Some ended up in Wellington, New Zealand where it was used to build a drinking fountain and dog bowl to commemorate 'Paddy the wanderer dog'. Paddy lived around the wharves and docks of Wellington during the Great Depression. He was friends with everyone except 'pirates, smugglers and rodents' whom he was employed to chase. Unfortunately he passed away on 17th July 1939. Apparently the whole city came to a standstill for his funeral!

Aye, you can learn some nonsense on the internet.