What a weekend! Sunny the whole time. Made all the turning leaves look fantastic. Chilly mind. Had a buff on both days and medium gloves. Gloves and sunglasses is my favourite non-height-of-Summer dress code. Mary was busy with another conference on Sunday so we opted to do Gullane on Saturday. Good choice too, as it was a bit breezy for hilly things. Plenty of choppy water in the sea. And those brave kite-surfers. I called them skyjackers when I couldn't remember the word for it and it kinda stuck. Glad that is not my sport. Looked colder than Baltic.
Mary found these on the way to the car.
foreground focus, background blur
Instead of the usual route Mary decided we should run down to the beach at Gullane, along the sand and trails to Yellowcraigs then inland to Dirleton and back along the road. It was nippy in the cold wind on the coast. Too cold for butterflies but old habits die hard and I continued to keep my eyes peeled. (No butterflies though.)
photo Mary
foreground focus, background blur
done this before but it never fails to amuse,
fairground mirror in toilet block, Yellowcraigs.
There were a family of 4 deer just off the trail near Dirleton. Unusually they were remarkably unflustered about being out in a open field away from the cover of trees, and not skittish at all. They sauntered about as if having trouble working out what way to go. They were still there some time later as the next folk went past taking pics as well.
the camera (not me you understand!) overexposed this shot but I quite liked it
In front of Lysander House and a curlew
foreground focussed, background blurred
the next deer photo session
Mary and I had agreed before we set out, to have a Leaf Off. Who can take the best autumnal shot. After quite a bit of scrutinising, the judges (also Mary and I) agreed a dead heat. (Even though mine are better.)
Honesty best policy.
I asked the boss if I could have an off-route moment. Near the gatehouse where the Archerfields road (to beach and golf course) meets the Gullane/NB main drag, there is a collection of brambles and buddleias where RAs, Specklies and Peacocks were gathering a month back. I had an idea it was nearly warm enough and there might be a stray butterfly in this spot out the wind. Mary was most accommodating, however as soon as we got there I knew it was useless as the buddleia were all finished flowering and the berries on the bushes were all shrivelled and done. No food plants, no insect fun. It was a bit disappointing. Especially as someone on facebook keeps taking and posting pics of specimens around Aberlady and E Lothian, no doubt where I am running past pointing my camera in the opposite direction. Still, there was no shortage of things to take photos of. Even if they weren't butterflies. Lots of fun was had but I probably shouldn't have 2 coffees in the same morning.
the only butterfly today
8.6 miles
