Beautiful start to the day ....

17th September 2020 (Thursday)     08.30 ....The woollens are on the line,

but we could be doing with a touch more of a breeze to make this a good drying day:  I’m not complaining, because we do have a beautiful morning.... sunny with hardly a cloud in the sky.   The only ‘fly in the ointment’ is the wind being from the East.... but even that isn’t going to bother me today;    I think.  

I’ve been for the paper, down to the harbour, taken a few photos, hung out the washing, and had breakfast;  now I need a cuppa.

15.30     My word... it’s a cracker of a day;  17c on the garden thermometer .   I’ve been up to Balcarres;   it was really hot up there, especially  when in sunny places in the woods.  ‘Jimbo’ would have enjoyed Balcarres today.... it was a good day for butterflies.    I saw, and photographed a Speckled Wood, this is my second sighting of one in the our area.... the first one we (Jim and I)  found in Shell Bay woods, this one

Speckled Wood butterfly.

was at the bottom of Balcarres Crag.    The Speckled Wood has expanded its range massively in the past 30 years or so;  global warming being the cause.   I was rare in Scotland up until a few years ago, but even up here it is rapidly spreading.

On the way through Colinsburgh I stopped to speak to Aileen (Colinsburgh WRI girl) and was able to update myself with how my Colinsburgh girls are coping with the current socialising restrictions.     We are all missing our coffee mornings and such like.

East Lodge has been going through a major renovation, and the area around the building has been landscaped:  it’s looking really good.    We lived in East Lodge in the early 1950’s.... before moving up to a bigger house at Sprattyhall Farm.

21.00       By all accounts tomorrow is going to be another bonnie day so I might go up

to Balcarres again, as far as Rires Farm;  the bike is fully charged .... it wasn’t this morning do I didn’t get as far as Rires.

When talking to Aileen (Colinsburgh) we got round to chatting about the importance of conversation, to people who live on their own.... and the fact that normal socialising isn’t possible just now, so conversation opportunities are limited.   We came to the conclusion that, the way things are, this situation is unlikely to improve in the foreseeable future for our age group.... and that we’re being ‘left to take care of ourselves’, until a proven vaccine is available:  Whenever that may be.