Warm ... but dull

18th April 2018 (Wednesday) .... 08.30     Although the sky is overcast, and we have light rain now and again, it is definitely warmer;  a disappointing morning;

'Davaar' - Earlsferry.

  because .... I was looking forward to warm sunshine.    That will come later in the afternoon.     Don’t get me wrong;  the villages look good, even on grey days.... they are like old citizens of the world, wearing their age with grit and determination: 

ignoring the ‘magma flow’ of new houses that have encircled, and in some cases buried, old villages, over the past 150 years or so.   Having said that, the bike will stay in the shed until after the rain!

20.30     This has been one exciting day for this ‘boy’.    The morning remained overcast, so I took the car up for the paper, then joined Jim and Geoff for coffee in the harbour House.    Myra joined us a little later.     Harbour House was busy.... with visitors.     When we left Harbour House, I realised that the Health Shop in Anstruther would be open , so went along there.    It was open.    Unfortunately the stuff I wanted was out of stock;   so that was a failed mission.    On the way home I detoured up to Colinsburgh and put fuel in the car.

Over lunch, I pondered my next move:   and decided that I’d get the bike out, and take the Grangehill road over to Shell Bay, then home via Kinneuchar Station and Elie Estate.    This I did, stopping to take photographs at various places... and nearly

Grangehill Earlsferry.

falling into the Cocklemill Burn at one of the stops.    Alan (Provan) came along, in his car, and stopped to talk.... we exchanged ‘news’.    Alan then set off for home to get his messages into the freezer, I continued on to Elie Estate.... then home, stopping to speak to George (Dunsire) on the way through Elie.

Back at Ivy I made myself a cuppa, and went up to The Hutte to do a Soduko.  From somewhere far away I heard someone knock on the Hutte door:   I’d fallen fast asleep .... as in deep asleep.     At glance first I thought it was Ken;  you have to understand that, my mind and eyes were not in a state of focus at this early stage of waking up.   In fact some might say I’m rarely ‘in focus’ at any time. Then just as I was beginning to realise this wasn’t Ken, the gentleman  introduced himself:  it was Sandy Allan (son of Bob Allan, former Green Keeper on the Golf Course),....  from Australia.     You could have knocked me down with a feather:   it really was someone from ‘far away’ knocking on the Hutte door.   Sadly, Sandy is over to attend his Uncle Jimmy’s funeral

The Cocklemill Burn....(the Den Burn on Balcarres estate).

(Jimmy Preston, ....from Kinneuchar).

By now I was wide awake and was able to take in all the ‘news’ that Sandy had.    His journey from Oz had not been the easiest;   the timing clashed with the Commonwealth Games athletes travelling home, so Sandy had to come via Dublin.    His suitcase didn’t make it onto the plane from Oz, but is now on its way to Kinneuchar via some other route.   The thing is, .... Sandy has settled down, after a long haul from Oz, and the resulting jet lag;   I have yet to settle down, .... after a wee bit o’ bike lag!

Tomorrow is forecast to be brighter, and warmer, than today;   I should be able to get out on the bike earlier.... though I don’t have a ‘plan of action’ as yet.    We do have the Drop in Cafe in the afternoon.... and Myra is i/c, so Jim and I will have to be on our best behaviour.