jejanuary

I have been struggling. January was SO grey and crappy I was only just managing to get out to run and take photos. A lot of the time I was only bothering to run at weekends having given my mojo the week off Mon to Fri. The thought of doing no booze or meat for the duration was equally uninspiring (I am down to a bottle of red a week and about 95% veggy), however I thought I should manufacture a portmanteau January title for this blog along the lines of veganuary. I bastardised jejune which, after niave or superficial, can mean (of writings or ideas) boring or dreary. (It's not such a commonplace word I could use it without explanation.) But that perfectly describes the following photos which fail to rise above mediocre although they do capture a month I was pleased to see the back of. Feel free to skip past quickly, I am just going through the motions so that next Winter I can remind myself of the light at the end of the tunnel.

Have passed John belting out the big miles several times recently.

Mr Gormley not travelling as far, and yet has been seen
at several locations on the WoL

being the New Year the place was littered with tourists

trail of bubbles

The WoL riverside path is blocked off near the Dean Village because there was a landslip episode and the council have fenced off a section to wait it out. Of course everyone just goes round the barriers; there is a well worn path. Along this section we heard a large plop and while we stood nearby looking for kingfishers and dippers, saw bubbles trace out a 12 yard semicircle. It became apparent there was an otter hidden in the murky depths, swimming back and forth. Twice it put it's head above the surface but ducked under again so quickly we failed to get any pics of anything other than splash. This was before the photos and videos that have been appearing in abundance since.

There was also a kingfisher but the light was so awful this was all I got.
This one was very shy, even more than usual.

We then went along to Corstorphine Hill

The Nyala was out and about pretending to ignore the passers-by (quite a few, as it was 1st Jan and many were walking off hangovers,) but really it was basking in the admiration . One of those suffering from Ginfluenza (thanks Hayley!) asked if anyone knew what it was. I said I thought it was a Nyala (not the first time I've run past here) and after googling it on her phone she concurred. One of the others, joking, said nobody loves a smartarse. While I basked in the admiration. 

I wanted to run down to the other exit but madam had plans already and we ended up going down Kaimes Rd. We then ran back towards to West End. Mary returned home through town. I couldn't face the thought of that so turned down the WoL at Rosemount and hoped I might get a better photo of the otter. I didn't. (No sign of it.) But I did get another shit photo of the kingfisher, as well as a dipper and the heron, nosferatu, at Canonmills. 

2 days later and with rumours of a tiny smidge of sunshine I felt I must check out the WoL again for the otter. A few photos had started to appear online suggesting there was more than one about town; on the canal, at Figgate Park and the Water of Leith. I used it as propulsion to get me out the door, still the hardest part of any January run. 

No Lutrinae. I stood about for ages, cursing every dog walker who went past chasing off the non-existant otters. One asked had I seen the otter. We chatted for a while. I wasn't the only one then. I did see this grey wagtail. They are always a joy, and this one seemed less bothered by humans than most, happy to bop about on the path 6 feet away while I took loads of poor quality photos because the clouds were blocking out all but the last smears of grey flat light. Another dog and walker called time on the photoshoot for me. 

I quite like the Gormleys down the WoL. They do have a tendency to collect driftwood on the upstream side but are not the worst sculptures in town. This is the one near Stockbridge. Best seen from a distance.

Another shot of nosferatu. I was posting these pics here and thought I had duplicated the first pic twice. Then checked it out and these 2 shots are 2 days apart. I'm guessing they are birds of habit. I know it didn't stay in the same spot for 48hrs because I threw it some bread first time and it looked at me wearily before flying off. They are usually (and unexpectedy) quite up for a bit of bread and will cross the river if you can catch their eye and throw the bread far enough. This spot (at the new raised walkway near the old B&Q ) takes quite a pitch to hit the water with anything other than a well lobbed crust.

2 days previously!

While you're here, I might as well document another run which hardly merits a fresh page of blog. The run was okay but the light was meh and I was again struggling to find much to get excited about. It helps to have a couple of strong coffees and at least we end up shouting and singing and getting through the day. But really, not a good time of the year. And life is too short to be just treading water waiting for Spring and the sunlight to return. This was the 4th Jan.

Largest amount of deer in that field they like.
Word's out that you get blogged if you hang around here on a Saturday.

some of this

some of that

didn't expect that

even though this was about arms length away the lack of decent light
makes for piss poor photos.

Right, Mr Grumpy is waving goodbye. In other news another holiday has been booked.