Caitlin and Rob get married

So after 17 years (17!) Caitlin and Rob get hitched. Luckily it was low key (by contemporary standards), and sensibly late in the afternoon - 3.45pm kick off, so didn't stop us going for a quick run round Holyrood beforehand.

A Red Admiral, probably woken up by the sunshine, flew ahead of us down Iona St.
Landed high up on a tenement briefly for a photo then out-flew us heading East.

Talking of weddings this guy was putting a ring on this swan, who looked a little bit like the reluctant bride. I've seen him before at Inverleith pond - usually gets a good audience. You can see his hook there that he catches the swan by its neck with. Not an easy or risk free game.

I was still full of breakfast and puffing hard as we approached St Margaret's Loch and not particularly in the mood for a sprint up the hill to Dunsapie. However I shifted up a gear and ran the gradient (from the barrier at the bottom to the bin at the start of the lochside) in a new pb of 5mins 45s. Probably all the hill training. This isn't the same as the strava section (I believe) but then again I'm not on strava.

Further round the Queens Drive, and Duddingston Loch and surrounding trees were looking attractive below with the sun glinting off the water. It does make me want to interact and I'm not sure what medium would work best; kayak, wet suit or inner tube and paddle! I doubt the park rangers would sanction any of that though.

Back along London Road and I'd never noticed this tree stump before. On the reverse is a clockwork info point. Set the dial and start cranking it to receive audio messages from beyond the grave: "Please take out your wallet and hand it to the gunman standing directly behind you" that sort of thing. Modern technology - marvelous!

I had nearly stayed home to try on different outfits and look for shoe polish. Glad I went for a run though as it was really very pleasant out and was a good warm up and off-set for the rich food we would encounter later. The wedding venue was Carberry Tower, and so Mary and I decided to cycle. We have cycled and run past there loads of times (on way to Cousland or Pentcaitland cyclepath) but never looked in to see the beautiful grounds and attractive grand house. Obvs we didn't cycle in our glad rags but took pannier bags of clothes to change into. And even arrived in enough time to padlock the bikes and find toilets in which to make a miraculous transition. Then raced to the "chapel" even getting there before the bride-to-be. 

The Master of Ceremonies, who was of the Humanist Society, did the MC-ing when we buried my dad in Binning Woods. She kept the ceremony relaxed and breezy and family members were involved and contributed. Then we went over to the Big House and had a drink before the meal. Mary and I had a wee wander outside as the grounds were spectacular. And also I was looking for a bar selling beer. The food was really great and it was fun meeting friends and family of the happy couple. Then there were speeches. Rob, being audio (soundguy) to Caitlin's visual (cameraperson) did a speech with a slideshow that worked very well.

We decided to sneak off before getting too tired and emotional as we still had to cycle home. Mary returned to the toilets to get back into her wonder woman costume but since it was fairly dark and I had had plenty of delicious wine I just stripped off beside the bikes in the car park. (Very similar in feel to the cross country.) The hill down from Carberry may or may not have been lit but we managed without incident, and once back to the coast managed to cycle along the front, enjoying the lack of public on the prom. It probably wasn't raining. The evening air was bracing and probably helped a good deal although Mary (3 drinks are 3 drinks more than usual) is not looking herself at all, today. I postponed the Tynecastle Bronze on spurious weather based data. Luckily I didn't opt to run with RD at 8am this morning.

Great wedding and huge Congrats and best wishes to Rob and Caitlin, rushing into it after 17 years! Hurray! xx

great shot by my nephew Ryan the official photographer

'tumnal

There was an offer to join some lovely friends who were planning on a train journey to the XC and back, but I feared the worst. Pints in the Stirling Union and strong drink on the train home - bound to end in tears and little patches of mud in second class. Best not. One hangover per weekend is more than enough and we had a wedding to go to on Sunday.

So instead a fabulously sober run from Gullane. Surprise!
First up, Gannets Deli. Taking the unorthodox step of opening for a Saturday! We bought their take out coffee with a slice of banana loaf and carrot/walnut cake. NOT two slices each, but half a slice each of either. Probably could have managed a slice each mind as they were small. But superb. Coffees were good too and did the trick. We were shouting and singing and talking nonsense within the first half mile, always a good sign of strong coffee. I felt a little like I'd missed out on the XC (and catching up with Graham, Nick and Jim etc.) but defo chose the right path.

mutant ninja turtles this way?

Mary suggested we have a wander round the church yard at Dirleton. A lot of the headstones were so old and faded you couldn't make out the carved inscriptions.

all that was left were his 'ears

always enjoy the funfair mirrors at Yellowcraigs

a hundred yards from the sea this flounder was either a very good swimmer

or an unfinished snack.

tyre tracks from the Forth Fat

Mary and I had discussed what the most interesting thing on the beach might be. It wasn't an octopus wrestling a crab as I guessed or a shark eating a sheep as Mary thought, but this poorly parked yacht. There was a suggestion it was on its holidays from Fife and had popped over for a visit during the stormy weather.

separated at birth 

burning bush

Now my therapist would probably say I have taken a full week to post this blog as I am in denial and didn't wish to revisit such a painful experience, but it may just be that I have been kinda busy this last week and didn't take the time to write up last weekend's Sunday run at Gullane. However it was a bit of a shocker.

No, not because Falko's have now drained their coffee machine and transported it to Haddington, silenced the cheese tongues and closed the doors for the last time. Although Mary is more a creature of habit, I think adventures and pastures new are the way forward. There have to be other ways to get a caffeine high and a bun, round here, without driving to Haddington. Since the Gannet Deli is closed Sunday (can that be right?!) the next choice was the Village Coffee House which has seen our custom before. In the past we found that the dude, possibly the owner, was a bit in-one's-face and slightly offputting. However he wasn't there and the interaction was less boisterous. The coffees and jammy scones were fine, if pricey (over £8 to take out). I think it stills remains plan B as a venue; yet to find plan A.

This little bird (possibly a Siskin?) sat on the JMW

 until the second before Mary raised her camera.

(Update: George M says more likely an immature Greenfinch.)

this one made a slower getaway

So we crossed the bridge at Aberlady and after a quick look at Marl Loch (nothing happening) we noticed someone had a bonfire going a short distance away. As we approached, we jogged past in disbelief - a group of grey haired vandals were chopping and burning the Butterfly Bush! I struggled to comprehend why they would be doing this in a nature reserve, although I suppose yes, it was a bit overgrown with thistles and nettles. But of all the collections of Sea Buckthorn bushes around the place, this was the epi-centre of butterfly life on the reserve - precisely due to those same nettles and thistles, the preferred food of several of the Nymphalidae - Peacocks, Small Torts and Red Admirals. Normally I'd have marched over for a word but we were so gobsmacked we just walked past incredulous. I did wonder was it because I'd posted that their electric fence wasn't electrified, so they were taking their revenge?

Although there haven't been any butterflies there for a few weeks I wondered just how many caterpillars and eggs and pupae were torched, in this no doubt well intentioned if somewhat unnecessary gardening. There are literally hundreds of similar shrubberies all over the reserve and next to the golf course, and yet this is the only one I have found with such an abundance of butterfly visitors. I emailed the ranger to ask what the thinking was, though as yet - 8 days later - have heard nothing back. I will post any correspondence.

It was hard to put the surprise of the burning bush behind us and run on like nothing had happened. Like seeing a favourite house or museum being deliberately torched by otherwise normal looking folk, filled with the moral high ground, that they were doing something worthwhile, and for the benefit of everyone and the wildlife, no doubt. We would run along the beach trying to enjoy the place as normal and then return to the unanswered question of WHY? It certainly coloured the day.

Later, through the woods and out the other side, the sun came out which cheered us up a bit. The Sea Buckthorn is in max overdrive producing a corridor of fragrant orange berries to run along. And the starlings are out rehearsing their murmurations in small groups, regularly regrouping round the red clay chimney pots of Gullane's sea-facing houses.