what I did on my holibags

Last of the Summer, whine. 

18/08/18. So we'd plan to go to a race (Oldhamstocks or Philiphaugh) then Mary's legs would say no thanks and we'd go for a cycle instead. Mary has been doing well to accommodate the vagaries of her running career of late with quite a few cycling trips offsetting the frustrations of knee-grumblings and anonymous IT band pains. They are not so bad you can't contemplate or sign up for an event but come race day... well several have failed to materialise. She does have a new bike though, and on the intermittent nice days of the dregs of the Summer we have been out in East Lothian, stopping only to get cameras out at the butterfly and roadkill bits. (sadface emoji) (I have just found the insert special characters button.) 😢 (Has that always been there?)

So last Saturday Mary decided to take me to a small cafe - Sew in Stitches in Aberlady - as long as I promised not to be rude or voice comments about the stuff on the walls. Like I was some tactless yahoo whose opinions would pop out and embarrass everyone before the coffees had arrived. As if.

There was little to no butterfly action on the way. Just a Meadow brown and a Small copper (which didn't hang about for a pic) near Port Seton. Having heard there were Holly Blues spotted in Aberlady I insisted we stop on the trail leading into Aberlady to shake a smallish holly tree; but predictably nothing blue fell out. 

I think the cafe aspect to Sew in Stitches might be a recent addition. The shop has been there for a few years and we have admired their quirky christmas nativity scenes more than once. Obviously a sense of humour is a key ingredient although this was my first venture inside. It is quite chintzy and very welcoming, although I think the primarily elderly clientele have influenced the twee and inadvertently patronising reception. Which is perhaps unfair as the couple serving us first soup and rolls and then coffee and cake were extremely friendly and reasonably quick and efficient. And the food was all very good. 

I managed to keep my opinions about the art on the walls to myself. It has a more amateur feel than some places though the modest prices reflect this. Overall it has a nice atmosphere to it although some individual pieces don't require closer scrutiny. The earl grey tea came in delightfully decorative china and I would readily go back for another serving, even though you might have to put up with the insipid chit-chat from the elderly customers at the next table. Bacon roll highly recommended.

From Aberlady we headed inland past the Hopetoun Monument over to Haddington, then back on the Pencaitland cyclepath and down to Musselburgh. I don't seem to have taken many photos apart from a red-legged shield bug that flew into my helmet, remarkably undamaged. I stopped to remove it having seen it come rattling towards me on a strong headwind. It must have adopted the brace position and it made a loud crack as it whacked into my hat. I stopped to remove its corpse but it marched untroubled over my cycle mitt. They are the biz. The only other stop was a small warm pile of recently dispatched stoat (juv?) which we removed to the side of the road. Even though they are the devil's own when it comes to predation, we felt sad to see this one cut down in its prime.

anyone know what this platform just off Seafield is?
(Mary reckons clandestine fracking!)

42miles

20/08/18
Continuing my never-going-back-to-work summer hols, on Monday Mazza and I went to Gullane for a short run. Apparently the wind meant we should head along to Archerfields then drop down to the beach and back rather than the usual Aberlady story. I can never tell really and sometimes wonder if it's whim rather than wind direction. Since I am always in a continually amenable mood I just roll with it. And was glad, when I saw the buddleia and berry bushes at the Archerfields entrance were bustling with Red Ads, Specklies, Peacocks and Whites. We were 10mins taking pics.

half an antennae lost in battle

small tort and small white

peacock employing buddleia to fill in wing pattern damage

r'ad underside

inflamed

6miles

22/08/18

Avoiding running 2 days running, M says we have to jump on the bikes and cycle via a new path she has found (Straiton / Bilston) that would get us to the Penlands with limited time on big, fast, deadly roads. There is mention of Roslyn and the Bush. Many bush jokes forthcoming. The weather is slightly better than the indifferent forecast. Having had some encounters with commas on buddleias recently I have to slow at every one we pass. The best by a long way is next to the Straiton pond and nature reserve, a shopping trolley haven in the middle of nowhere, which produced the best photos of the day, as the sun came out just as a comma was feeding on this white buddleia.

We had a reasonable time cycling from Flotterstone up to Maiden's Cleugh and over to Harlaw, though were disappointed the excellent mini-cafe in Flott car park was closed. Maybe that's why there are fewer photos. Always a challenge to "clean" Maiden's Cleugh without dabbing a foot on the loose wheel-spin bits, and a good workout. Not being an off road regular I never know just how fast I can descend safely on the other side, and am reluctant to push it. Again the refreshments cabin at Harlaw appeared to be closed so we turned right and headed towards the WoL at Currie, which we followed back through town and home. Fun day out.

Now what could this possibly be?

30miles