Almost 4 Months of Lockdown and a Heatwave and a Flood

Its been a week of two weather halves with the first half of the week glorious weather and high temperatures and the second half of the week loads of rain culminating in floods on Sunday. This was my very early morning walk on Wednesday and Langholm Parish Kirk without the trees in front.  

Langholm Lodge on Monday morning. It would have made a superb country hotel if they had not knocked down the big middle section after the war. 

The Ha-ha in front of Langholm Lodge

On Wednesday morning I enjoyed a trip up to Springhill to see David and Alix Stevenson for morning coffee in the garden. Alix had just returned from a walk with my two favourite dogs Bowman and Ruger and they always finish a walk with some games on the lawn. Despite his advanced years Bowman is still very enthusiastic in catching a rubber ring. 

Bowman catching a rubber ring 

All set for another go. 

A very happy Bowman

On Thursday I had my first walk as a group of three people in over three months. I joined Mike and Charlie to walk round part of Walk 8 in the Langholm Walks Booklet. It was chosen as it was easy to keep socially isolated on the walk but I have to admit its not easy and you occasionally forget. This is the lane at Bagra and it was full of wild flowers and Mike as always gives us instructions on how to identify them.  

Mike explaining a particular wild flower. It was the warmest day of the year and very humid but a most enjoyable walk in excellent company and finished off with a lovely cup of tea in Mikes garden thanks to Alison.

My Friday walk took me to my regular 3 mile circuit of Canonbie. This is the lane from the high road above Canonbie down to the village.

My favourite bird The Dipper 

The Esk from Byreburn Bridge

My Skippers Bridge walk on Saturday spotted the first fisherman of the year near the Bowling Club at Codgie

Sunday morning after a night of heavy rain and the rivers are high. The Ewes and Wauchope are running much faster than the Esk so maybe it will come down in flood later in the day

The Esk and the Ewes

The Wauchope which mostly is the first to come down in flood.

The Ewes from the Sawmill Bridge

The Esk from the Duchess Bridge

The Esk and the Wauchope

A family of Goosanders sheltering from the flood with Mum standing guard. There was another family just down from this one and in total there was I think 15 young and the two Mums. This family is 8 young.

This is the second family with Mum and 7 young

I photographed them when I set out on my walk and again when I returned and this time some of them had moved into the river but they were soon back on the banking.

Week 9 and Back Walking Again

At last after over 2 weeks of rest I am back walking again. In the first 6 weeks of the Lockdown I had been walking 6 miles a day and that had caused me to have a sore knee. The 2 weeks of rest have helped but I realise I have to reduce my miles or my arthritic knee will come back again. I now only do 4 miles every second day and walk at a slightly slower pace that more reflects my ageing years. The Bluebell season is at its peak and the area is awash with blue. 

These are both near the North Lodge

The 9 weeks of Lockdown have been unusual in that during this time we have hardly had any rain. The couple of days or nights when it did rain was hardly enough to dampen the dust. The rivers are very low. This is the Ewes from the Sawmill Bridge.

And the Esk and the Ewes at The Meeting of the Waters 

A beautiful Azalea on the Lodge Walks but it would be decimated on Thursday morning when we had a frost of -4C 

The Wild Garlic on Easton's Walk and the smell from them is very strong

This is the Hungry Burn on Easton's Walk and it is dry for the first time I can ever remember

A tree in the garden of the Bungalow at Border Esk being pruned and shown from both sides of the river

More Bluebells or Cratties as we call them in Scotland and these are also on Easton's Walk

The Peonies in our garden which have had to be tied up by Gaye as they were damaged by the strong winds last weekend 

On my Friday walk round Jenny Nobles I was delighted to meet Alix and my 2 favourite dogs Ruger and Bowman. 

At Langholm Old Bowling Green President Karl is working hard to rebuild the wall which was in a dangerous state

And finally after 9 weeks in Lockdown Gaye has finished these two Tapestries given to her by her friend Collette from Newmachar in Aberdeenshire.

Bowman Leads the Way

It was just 4 of us on a local short walk today. This was done to please Bowman who is getting a bit elderly and cannot walk too far. It was a very pleasant day as we walked up to Springhill to collect David and the boys and then walk round Gaskells, Skippers Bridge, Round House, and back to The Buccleuch Centre for lunch. We had a couple of rests for Bowman at The Round House and then Langholm Old Bowling Green.

Happy New Year

We held a Last of the Summer Wine Hogmanay Dinner in The Eskdale Hotel and an enjoyable evening was had by all. We started with Champagne at Birkwood courtesy of David & Alix, who unfortunately due to illness were unable to go to the dinner. The meal was excellent with the exception of a very poor Christmas Pudding that was probably the worst I have ever tasted.  

John and Elizabeth 

Peter and Gaye

Sandria and Tom

In front of Langholm's splendid Christmas Tree 

For many years we have walked round Potholm on New Years morning as part of the Whisky run organised by Mike and Charlie. The runners do the 8 mile Doctors run but we just do the 5 mile walk round Potholm. Everybody sets of at their chosen time to get them into the Market Place by 11.00am so we set off at 9.00am. The weather was glorious and we met this group of Crows having a meeting on our way along the Potholm Road. 

As soon as they heard us coming they were off

The traditional photo on Potholm Bridge 

In the garden of the farmhouse at Potholm were these Snowdrops. I have never seen them as early.

We arrived at the Market Place just before 11.00am with the superb Town Band in good form 

We soon met up with David and the dogs on the second half of the walk as they had gone the opposite way and joined us for a couple of miles. Bowman has had a haircut and is looking very well despite him being 14 this year. We have all walked many miles in his company and he is such a character.