park life

29th Dec.

The day started out a bit wet and miserable so plans to run round a few birdy haunts (with Nick) were put on hold. Then the sun began to show itself so I went out solo, but on the understanding that if it rained or got grey again all bets were off. It stayed pretty decent, and better than anticipated with a few blue sky moments and a lucky chance meeting up Arthur Seat, so all in all a good day out.

First port of call was Lochend Park. Just the other side of the football stadium from us this mixed blessing of wildlife-and-shopping-trolley swamp was one of the highlights of a recent run. Loads of tufted ducks, coots and black headed gulls and all very eager to be fed bread in return for posing for pics. About 2/3rds iced over, the pond was looking attractive in the sunlight and the tufted ducks came over for a chat about homemade bread with lots of seeds and wholemeal goodness. They said they liked it fine but would happily settle for the supermarket white loaves they are more familiar with and it was just the middleclass busybodies pushing the idea that white bread was poisoning them. 

water colours

3 pigeons outside Lochend, Midlothian

The pigeons were tricky to get a decent photo of. They were scratching around the pondside which wasn't well lit. The sun was only catching the middle of the pond which might explain the gulls gathering around the ice in the centre. Being better light made for better photos. They seemed untroubled by cold feet. And I suppose it was safe ground for cat naps as you would be able to sense a predator approaching through the ice vibrations. And it would be a bold Mr Foxy who ran out over the thin ice in search of a meal.

Beginning to get cold I left and headed to Figgy Park to see if it would produce anything of the wildlife folk had seen there recently - dippers, woodpeckers, small garden birds and otters. It was really quite sunny by now but the stream that runs through Figgate Pk is at the lowest point (obvs) and was almost entirely in shadow. Exactly at the point Sandy had said he regularly saw a dipper (the lower bridge at the Duddingston end, the far point of the parkrun loop) I saw the dipper. It moved upstream as I got close but wasn't too flighty and beyond keeping me at 10 yards distance (even in my stealthiest ninja mode), carried on as normal, swimming through the cold water in search of small fish and insect larvae to eat. I took loads of photos but they were all pretty dark and dull and hardly worth posting here.

However it was a delight to see the dipper (there most days according to locals) and so I ran, with happy heart, up the road to Duddingstone, into the park and up the steps to check out Dunsapie. I haven't heard anything of the otter in a week or 2 since the loch started to freeze over. There was some unfrozen water at the edges but no sign of the otter. Instead, I ran and walked up to the summit to take pics of the city and Pentlands under a sprinkling of snow. 

The first few days of snow covering brings out that childlike sense of fun and wonder and gives me a pink-cheeked joy. Especially if running past people overdressed and sweating as they stumble and slip in too many layers of winter clothes while I am dancing past in shorts and running top. After a night of frost things can get tricky; with paths changing from slush to ice or compacted snow that is as slippy. Back on the 29th it wasn't too bad although I descended from the summit with loads of caution, not fancying a slide and fall on sharp rocks with the camera in my hand.

busy busy

I went down the way most descend in the 7 Hills race. Towards the Dasses and the far end of Hunters Bog. I saw a couple coming up the snowy steps as I was tentatively descending and I spoke out loud my thoughts about the slippery steps and advising caution. The woman said she recognised my voice and said my name. I looked more closely and it turned out to be Elaine P from art school, someone I hadn't spoken to in about 35 years.

I had heard Elaine was living in Edinburgh (and just a couple of streets away from myself) but somehow we had managed never to bump into each other. She was with her partner and they spoke of doing a couch-to-5k plan recently so there is every chance it won't be another 35 years until we meet again. The most surprising thing was Elaine doesn't do computers! So no email address, no social media presence and no way to get in touch online. No really, it wasn't just her just saying that to discourage me. (I'm pretty sure.) I thought I was the most Luddite person I knew (refusing to carry a smart-phone and be a phone-zombie). But it turns out Elaine is trumping me in every way. I now feel super modern and up to date with young people. (No I don't really, and glad of it too.)

Elaine and Gavin

Nice to see the sun today although there wasn't much of it and after a late start it was quick to disappear again. Good news, we are beyond the shortest day and heading back into longer days with sunshine and butterflies. Haha. Maybe eventually.

7.5 miles over 2.5 hrs

(quite a lot of non-running)