Week 14 and a Visit to Winterhope and The Meggat Valley

Another week of fairly good weather. My week started with a 5 mile walk on the Old Drove Road from Old Irvine to The Ker Wood and back. It was a lovely walk with lots to see and hear. My new camera is performing well as this bird was a hundred yards away 

There were loads of flowers next to the track

This is the old Drove Road and it is as straight as a die for over 2 miles

The following day we headed up to Winterhope to see Jean and Wattie Rutherford. It was the first time Gaye had seen her friend Jean for 3 months 

Wattie keeps a lovely garden with a bit of everything on show here 

I particularly like this tub of flowers 

He also loves keeping hens and this is one of his favourites

Another part of his lovely garden

They have a very friendly cat who just loves to sleep in this old pot in a corner of the garden 

Their house is just below the reservoir and the water level is quite low at the moment but not yet at the stage where water rationing will be required

His noisy Cockerel who is very popular with the neighbours early in the mornings

My Wednesday walk took me up the Copshaw road with a stop off at the old Quarry to see the last remaining pond of Tadpoles and Newts. They are surviving well and the water level seems ok. 

From the road I headed across Whita and down the road to the Golf Course where I met Denis and Tom enjoying 9 holes of Golf. 

At the end of my Wednesday walk I met Jack and Daphne Irving and their daughter Trish at Brooklyn. Jack is another keen garden and has done wonders with the massive garden at Brooklyn.

After a short walk on Thursday I went up to the Benpath area on Friday to visit one of the Buccleuch Centre Staff who is currently on Furlough. She lives in the Meggat valley and I combined my visit with a walk up the valley and back. It is a beautiful and peaceful valley. 

A lovely field of either hay or silage near to Meg's house

Further up the Meggat valley

This Roe Deer crossed my path a hundred yards or more in front of me

Our Grandson Thomas in California was 9 on Wednesday. He loves sport and the outdoor life. They had been kayaking on The Ice Lake in northern California this week and just loved it.

A selfy taken at The Round House on Saturday morning 

This Grey Squirrel posed for a photo on my walk round Jenny Nobles Gil on Saturday

Foxgloves 

And finally Demelza the young Rabbit that has been visiting us every day for a week. She was called Demelza by Gaye as we have been watching Poldark regularly during Lockdown

Week 12 and the End of a Glorious Spring

The week started with my fence getting painted at long last. It was very hot and I had to finish at 1.00pm to get ready for my first game of Bowls this season. I never got any more done to the fence this week as I bowled on Monday and Tuesday in glorious weather and then the weather changed dramatically for a few days. Our spring was the best ever with almost 3 months of dry sunny weather. It certainly helped our Lockdown to be more bearable.

Due to Corvid-19 our Bowling season could only start this week so we have lost at least 6 weeks of play. The rules are that we can only play singles and only 3 rinks can be used at the same time. The clubrooms and toilets are closed and no spectators are allowed. It's better than not playing but I do miss the fun of Pairs and Triples. I managed to beat Tom fairly convincingly after a slow start.

On Wednesday I headed down to Rowanburn for a 4 mile circuit of Rowanburnhead, Rowanburnfoot and the old railway line. This is the workers repairing all the power lines in our area. It is I believe a 2 year job.

A lovely field of Buttercup next to the old railway line near Rowanburn.

Lang Sandy at the garden in Rowanburn

On Friday I headed out to Winterhope for my morning walk and also to see (at a distance) our friends Jean and Wattie who have been isolated up this lonely valley for almost 3 months. The reservoir there is quite low but not near water rationing levels yet.  

Winterhope Dam

Wattie's vegetable garden looking immaculate as per usual. He loves his garden and together with his lovely hens seems to be very happy there.  

We had a grand blether and a coffee and cake 

My walk on Sunday was up to Potholm but this time I took the new route through the forest above the main track to Potholm on the Langfauld. 

On the new route you go along a narrow track through the forest

The start of the new route and a track suitable for 4 wheel drive vehicles

Near Potholm the area has been used by Mountain Bikers at the Muckle Toon Adventure Festival

A Visit to Winterhope

Hannah & Leo love to visit Winterhope to see all Wattie & Jean's hens and ducks. This is a new addition to their family a bantam and here she is on the point of laying an egg for Hannah's breakfast tomorrow morning.  

Hannah is reunited with her friend Quackers a Calling Duck who she met for the first time last July. 

The pond was full of Newts and Hannah soon was handling them without any bother. 

Leo soon discovered the swing.

And he was soon giving Wattie a hand in the garden with the wheelbarrow.

We went for a walk and Hannah was given a great welcome by one of the Collie's from the farm 

On the way home we went to the Kilngreen to feed the ducks and Mr. Grumpy the Heron who thinks it is a duck.