Paloma went to the Ben Atkinson clinic and was a bit of a superstar, improving her liberty work and managing ridden Spanish walk. Chamfron Colorado has been down the beach with his buddies. I've seen several videos of Chamfron Compostela out showjumping and getting placed at dressage. Chamfron Marco Polo appears to have a comfort Llama!
So we started Sunday with a trip to Dechmont UFO trail, A memorial commemorating the only Scottish police investigation into an extraterrestrial incident. In November 1979 Robert Taylor, a forestry worker, parked his truck and walked his dog through a path to a newly planted forest area north of the hill known as Dechmont Law. He reported that he happened upon a flying dome hovering above the forest floor. The dome sent out two smaller spheres that dragged him to the larger dome. The last thing Taylor remembered was a strange acrid smell. He came round sometime later and the spheres were gone. Taylor made it back to his truck, but was unable to start the vehicle and had to walk home. When he arrived home with torn, disheveled clothes and various cuts, Taylor’s wife called the local doctor and the police. The police took him back to the scene of the incident, where they found unusual marks that looked like ladders and others that Taylor claimed were made by the spheres. The police treated the incident as an assault and conducted a criminal investigation. Mr Taylor, who died in 2007, was a respected war hero and teetotal churchgoer. No-one doubted that he was sincere in what he believed he had seen and throughout the rest of his life he never deviated from his story. No UFO's today though! We then stopped at Dryden Tower, initially intended as a hilltop eye-catcher for Dryden House (which was demolished in 1938), it is still a prominent landmark. It originally belonged to a wider landscape known locally as 'The Pleasure' which was destroyed by the construction of Bilston Glen colliery. Amazing building, this is my "Grand Designs" project when I win the Euro Millions (gin terrace, bath on the roof...!!). Then we came back via the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies which we both declared an awful lot more shiny since we were last there in a professional capacity (circa 30 years ago!). We saw “Canter” by Andy Scott, an incredible piece of art and fitting for a veterinary school that was originally established to support the treatment of working horses. Random sighting of the day was a large red deer hind in with a field of sheep, surely an escapee from somewhere?
Local plods during the week then another trip to the Hopetoun Monument near Haddington, it was open this time so we climbed the 95ft-tall tower via the 132 steep steps to the top.
Chamfron By Dand got the spin out in the posh wagon this weekend to do the 30km at Whitelees wind farm, averaging 12.7km/h with a final heart rate of 40.
Feeling a bit limp on Sunday so just a gentle stroll to Dr Neils Garden which sits between Arthur Seat and Duddingston Loch. An almost secret garden and it took us a few false starts to gain entry! As it was our anniversary I shall also mention that our wedding venue Roulotte Retreat won the Mind, body and Soul section of Scotland's Greatest Escape and head into the final.
On Tuesday I was down in Duns so headed in the direction of the castle, I walked round the ancient curling pond, randomly called "Hen Poo" and up to Duns Law and the Covenanters Stone. Other than a small stroll around Melrose on Saturday morning this was the extent of my weeks walks as I battled the "feels exactly like Covid but tests negative" bug!
With a voucher for lunch in Kelso to use we headed back down to the Borders and the Bowmont Forest on Sunday. Lots of felling and clearing of the Storm Arwen damage was evident but an appetite was worked up! Monday saw me working a mile from Binning Wood so I had a lunch time hurtle round the perimeter under beautiful blue skies. Thursday we still had the blue skies and a decent covering of snow so we headed round the by-pass to Bonaly Country Park for the first time, sadly it was bereft of the white stuff and a bit grey but we walked up to Bonaly reservoir and back round Torduff. Definitely the gateway to some great walks round the Pentlands with views right across the Edinburgh skyline so one to keep on the list for a revisit. Friday was a quick snowy spin around Duns then to finish the week it was back to the coast on Saturday.
Having driven along the coast road and not met even one cyclist I was equally surprised to see a near empty Aberlady nature reserve car park, I had a small change of plans and stopped there. There was not a breath of wind and the sun was blazing down so I headed out to the submarines. I have a light fear of the sea, so although I had checked the tide times and checked them again I was wary venturing out without another soul in sight! Having survived and not met any sinking sands in the bay I did a few more miles along the coast to Gullane and headed back through the Nature reserve, an absolutely glorious morning.
