3rd
August 2020 (Monday) 08.30 .... There’s a braw autumnal
air
this morning .... the kind of freshness that makes me want to get out on
the bike. I’ve been to the beach, but
have yet to go for a paper. I’m thinking of going to Balcarres but I have
a few things to do first: like having my
breakfast and hanging out a washing.
The beach was fairly busy with joggers (Tom was out for his morning exercise) and I
met Chris who had been out on the bike.
Both things I used to do. Mind you
I’m enjoying doing what I do now... and I have plenty memories of jogging and
biking. I still go biking right enough
but with a battery assisted bike. Of to
have breakfast. I can't go out on the bike until the phone has fully charged.
18.30 With it being one of my ‘get up and go’
kind of mornings I decided, when having breakfast, that I’d do the ‘Old Coal
Road’ from Kilbrackmont to Gibliston; it’s
a road I’ve done loads of times, the last time being four years ago. I was in the mood and it was a perfect
morning so I quickly got myself organised and set off at 10.15. I’d decided to do the road from the South
side.... Gibliston Farm: this isn’t the
best way but I wanted to do the conserve battery power. This way I’d walk up the steep, (and
roughest) bit by Cloughret Ha’. This is
one of my favourite ‘get away from it all’ places on Balcarres Estate; though I most often come in from the
Kilbrackmont end and only go as far as ‘The Big Tree’.... today I wanted to do
this whole section of road.
 |
| Old Coal Road. |
I had a really enjoyable outing; but my
knee is sore. What I lack in mobility I
make up for with determination; hence
the sair knee. Tomorrow will be a ‘rest
day’.... and probably Wednesday too! I
photographed my way up to Cloughret Ha, where I stopped for a snack, then on to
‘The Big Tree’. If I do go onto the
OCR (Old Coal Road) again it will be to visit the tree.... thus avoiding the
roughest part of the road. ‘The Big
Tree’ is beech and of a huge girth but not a single tall trunk. Whether it was struck by lightning in its early
years (I imagine it will be about 200 years old) or was two trees very close
together and they grew into each other I don’t know.... but it is one big
tree. It is suffering from severe rot
in place with bits falling off it but it still produces beech nuts in
abundance. It was when I was to the
tree that I notice heavy shower clouds coming over so had to make a move back
home sooner than I’d intended. I came
home by way of the Estate road from Lathallan to Colinsburgh. The total length of my journey was 19.85
kilometres (12.33 miles) and it was done on less than half of the battery
power. Cellardyke is well within range
with judicious use of battery and legs.21.00 It has been a brilliant day and I am a
tired and happy boy at the end of it; ready
for bed and
 |
| The big tree. |
my book. I had been
apprehensive about going too far on the bike then running out of battery power ,but
with sensible use of the battery 20 miles (which is the battery range) is well
within range. Once the roads are quiet
again... after the holiday season .... I’ll go to slightly further afield. Even if I do run out of battery you can
still use the bike .... in a low
gear. Right now it’s chocolate time, a quick look
at the ‘News’ then off to bed.
