immaculate

 

9th Jan.

This run was not immaculate. And the photos were so far from immaculate I nearly discarded them and moved heartlessly onto the next post which has better pics and was more enjoyable. However I think we have to take the rough with the smooth. And I really liked, REALLY liked that nativity scene and the special effort that went into it, from the carefully chosen and surreal backgrounds to the blue (masking tape) masks which are genius. It was in the window of a flat near Marchmont and wins my 2020 best-response-to-covid award. 

thanks Alex C for seeing us and taking this photo
before we saw you!

you just can't escape it

Hi Lorenzo!

At the Tollcross end of the Meadows we stopped for a breather and a word with the birds. The starlings (above) buggered off and bad words were cast in their direction. The redwing turned as I did and seemed determined to show me its rear quarters, an insult I very much took on board. A gang of LTTs did little to make me happy, flitting like crazy round the branches and confounding any chance of a decent photo. Just at that moment the Ward clan came past. I had been reminded earlier in the day on facebook that 10 years ago we took part in the Ian Campbell organised Hunters Bog bandit 5k. For the first couple of laps I had been close to Ray (ahead briefly but it didn't last - just a foolish sprinting start) but forgot to mention it to Ray who said nice things about our bird photos and joked about the trials of child care and home schooling. 

Ward 5

thrift shop luckies

canal was frozen over

We turned off the canal and headed up to Craiglockhart.

then over to the Hermitage
The butterfly board was covered in snow

I think some new animals have been added to the soil retaining walls below the doocot. They gave us much entertainment, deliberate and accidental. They are loosely painted and some are lovely, while others have a certain comedy value. I was amused by the grey beaver, unaware we had them here. And the bats are properly frightening!

I knew there was a butterfly under the snow

sledging base camp - taking a break for refreshments

We then went to Blackford Pond to see if we could see any rats, but the high water level, which had frozen, and the frosty conditions, doesn't seem to bring them out. There were a quite a few folk out on the ice. Social media has been awash with 

1/ pics of folk enjoying the Winter conditions and skating on frozen ponds and reservoirs

2/ people complaining that folk are selfishly doing 1/ and endangering themselves and risking calling out emergency services who are already swamped with Covid related stuff.

There was a picture of someone who fell through the ice in West Lothian, went up to their waist, got helped out by people who were nearby, and only had the danger of chaffing from wet trousers on the way home. Pretty sure the emergency services weren't called. I think people should be able to make their own call on this one. I'm all for a bit of fun and there are plenty of folk falling over on the ice and breaking things who aren't anywhere near ponds. Bet far more folk got hurt sledging than on ice skates. I really don't mind if two young parents pushing their offspring in a pram across Inverleith Pond go through the ice, in fact it would be a good thing. Also, elsewhere (Pentland reservoirs I think) a skater said they chopped a hole in the ice and it was 4 inches or more which is apparently thick enough. So they were behaving fairly responsibly. Nobody fell in and no emergency services were stretched. But social media moaners droned on regardless. If there is one thing Covid has taught us, it is that social media is totally awful. I wouldn't touch Twitter with an unsanitised bargepole. Even though it is one arsehole fewer these days. 

11.3miles in 3hrs23