Warm and sunny .....

15th July 2021 (Thursday)   07.00 .... we have a ‘wall to wall’ blue sky this

Kinneuchar.

morning and the air is already warm (15C);  there is a light breeze, so it might feel slightly cooler than yesterday.... but not much.   It’s going to be a bonnie day.... though cloudier in the afternoon.    Mind you it would only take a single, small cloud, to make it cloudier than it is just now.  

19.00    A few clouds dared to make an appearance around about midday, but mostly towards the north so we have had a bright, sunny and warm day.   I went out on the bike twice in the morning;  the first time was when I went for the paper, and for a change of scenery I came home by way of Balbuthie Road and Kinneuchar;  then, with it being such a lovely morning, and before the heat of the afternoon, I had coffee up at Chapel Green.  

The beach was bust (it was a big beach ‘cos the tide was out) as was the Coastal Path with walkers;  so plenty of folk to talk too.    I came home after an hour and a half.... just in time for lunch and to get the TV on to watch Stage 18 of The Tour.

Stage 18 was the last of the mountain stages and was won by the ‘Yellow Jersey’ Tadej Pogacar (Slovenian), who also won yesterday’s mountain Stage... in fact he took over the yellow jersey on the first mountain stage (Stage 8) of this year’s tour.      Stage 19 (tomorrow) is ‘flat’ and made for the sprinters:  will Mark Cavendish beat the Eddie Merckx record, having equalled it earlier?   Mark has two chances, tomorrow and the final day in Paris.

                                                                                                                                               21.00    It’s a nice evening but the onshore breeze is chilly;  not that I’m going anywhere but I have been pulling a few weeds... they are at a perfect height for pulling.    I’ve had an enjoyable day, having met, and spoken to numerous people.... including Irene (Peebles) who told me that Bill Anderson (Painter and Decorator, Colinsburgh) has died.    Bill was four years older than me, but he is one of the few painters that I knew

Livingston Daisies.  (Courtesy EAG)

from the time I was an apprentice on Balcarres Estate.   Bill had been, more or less, confined to his house for the past few months, and I hadn’t seen him since before the pandemic.    My thoughts are with Eileen, and Colin and families at this sad time.

The next few days are going to be repeats of today... warm and sunny with occasional cloud:  I might go for a small adventure tomorrow morning;  it has to be in the morning because it will be too hot in the afternoon.   And I have Stage 19 to keep an eye on.