Encouter with a fox

Fox near Blackshaw pond

Anne and I had a gentle (pinholing) walk up to the wind farm and back down on the Kings Way footpath.
It was one of these walks that's never very far from places you've been before but is new enough to be interesting, although I find interesting in the strangest of places.
We meadered through little bit of neglected woodland along beside a stream off and on, then through an area the landowner has converted into an open parkland with managed routes around the pond and trees.
Its lovely, all the nicer for the fact that its being looked after by a farmer chap, no doubt with a few grants from the public purse.
Just as we were leaving the pond area onto what I call the King Way I saw a fox just over the horizon.
We dashed into cover and were rewarded by a nice view and a few photos as the fox wandered by.
It did hear the sound of the camera and got suspicious eventually dashing off when it identified humans behind the camera, but not before I'd got a few shots.

Two slide shows to see a digital colour + fox and a pinhole B&W.

Dailly loop

Unlucky day for some.

Graham and I had a glorious outing over the Dailly loop and singletrack
the sun shone it was cool and clear. Unfortunately Tilly's tea room at Dailly was closed so it was a case of picnic by the river OK but a hot coffee and cake would have been nicer.
Three and a half hours on the bike with some lovely singletrack YE CANNIE WHACK IT!

View the video here on FLICKR

Pottering on the bikes

About a week ago Anne and I were up cycling in Mugdock park just North of Mingavie, then I was wandering in Ayr as Anne was doing a bit of shopping and I walked over the hills to Largs on Sunday past.
All the photos I've taken on these outings have been waiting in the camera for this opportunity to get a showing so
here they are.

Today Anne and I did a bit of gentle cycling from Eglinton around some quiet lanes to Dalgarven mill for lunch.
At this time of year the mill wheel is running and of course the museum is open, its worth a visit. Today though we just had coffee and cake to keep us going on the way back to Eglinton.
As I was about to load the bike back onto the car I thought 'I could cycle back home and turn today into a reasonable time on the bike'
Thats just what I did giving about 4 very pleasant hours cycling.
I don't have a cycle route for this on my web site, funny how routes pop up that I've done several times and somehow they haven't quite made it into the site. Oh well maybe I'll put it on trip tracker. If I do there will be a link here.

The quarry route

Biglees waterfall in pinhole.

This was an at home week end for my cycling chum Graham. He was telling me he'd been mtbing at the Quantocks with another (work) cycling pall, monstrous climbs he was telling me. I was quite envious although I'd only consider going there if I was in the area for other reasons. There is mtbing a plenty up in Scotland.

The weather people said it would rain quite a bit over the WE but they got it wrong yesterday was quite nice except for a couple of short light showers.
We got out for a few hours along the beach Goldenberry then the hard quarry climb followed by a rough downhill reward and back via Portencross.
I haven't been doing a great deal of MTBing recently so it was great to get out on the bike along some nice local dry trails.

The route is a combination of Goldenberry and the Quarry.

I've been developing some B&W pinhole stuff on Xray film view a few images here in a FLICKR slideshow.

Today I took a walk along the hillside to Largs. The weather was lovely, sunny and breezy with good visibility. Over Glantane, along the ridge above the normal cycle trail to Fairlie Glen, from there I took the low route through Kelburn.
Shot off a few pinhole photos on the way. View slideshow

Pottering in Mugdock

Market display in Olot Spain.
See previous post

Had a bit of MTBing down at Auchincruive early this week. Out passed Stair into Barskimming and Failford. I discovered a little woodland trail toward Barskimming but it really needs a bit of trail maintenance to get it up to scratch, pity its just a little far from home to sort out.
I looped back along the Failford Stair section of the River Ayr Way for a coffee break in the Stair Inn before heading back along the riverside to Auchincruive.

View the route here.

Tuesday Anne and I took the MTBs up to Mugdock for a little loop following our walking route with a little add on at the east side and a bit of investigation around the reservoir. Just had a look for the walk but I only have the longer cycle route description. Funny how the mind plays trick on you, I could have sworn I had a walking route description for Mugdock.

Just got my Spanish holiday (Olot town near Girona) pinhole images back from One Vision Imaging really pleased with them even though they are basically just pinhole snaps.

Dalgarven Kilwinning

Tulip at Eglinton

Made it out on the road bike today for a few hours. Over to Dalgarven mill on the hilly quiet route missing the traffic by risking a bit of mud on a farm road link.
There was indeed mud but only for 20yards or so. I just kept the speed down in it and just after in an attempt to stay clean.
At Dalgarven Mill tearoom there was a group of Billy Bilsland cyclist from the south side of Glasgow feeding there faces for the run back up the road into the showers.
I'd noticed the tell tale clouds and had decided to keep south in the sun and headed downhill to Eglinton and Kilwinning.

On the news tonight it was reported a chap from Kilwinning was missing and his wife in hospital after trying to rescue their dogs from the swollen river very sad, I couldn't help but wonder what I was doing at the time it happened. Maybe taking photos at the Abbey, or pottering home over the back roads home. Mmm makes you wonder what tomorrow might bring.

View todays photos here.

I'm not very happy with the slide show header, I'll check it on Anne's laptop and it its rthe same I'll be reverting to the FLICKR one in future.

Garrotxa - Spain

Mountain daffodils at 1515m

Just had a week in Spain in the Garroxta area near Girona based at Olot town.
This is the 4th time I've been there first time was a 6 day cycling tour with my cycling chum Tom we cycled through the beautiful Garroxta region of old volcanoes and beach tree forests.
It was so nice I decided to return with my wife Anne for some walking, we both loved it and have been back three times now.
There are lots of signed walks and if you choose to be more adventurous the mapping is excellent so its possible to make up your own routes and follow them with relative ease.
I have 5 maps of the region all purchased from Stanford maps.
The main area map has a English language guide book for 9 walks up to five hours long.

Last year we went in March but that was just a little early, it was quite cold with snow on the higher hills.
This year though was just lovely although we did havea rainy evening, enough to change the next day planned walk to low level to avoid slippy conditions of the rougher hill paths.

If you choose to go there stay in the Borrell hotel in Olot and eat at La Veranda restuarant along the road.

View a slideshow of the holiday here.