Beach Cruisers

Gordon and Katie at Belhaven Bay with the Lifeboat in the background. We had a lovely weekend with our lodger*, Dotty. Today the Big Event was getting said lodger* onto her new-old bike, which I have spruced up somewhat since it was dragged out of a barn a few weeks back. The new Sturmey-Archer cable did the trick and so she even has gears - "she" being Bella Bike. Dotty was tremendously pleased with herself for actually using said gears, but what impressed me rather more was when she whizzed down the steep, twisty, narrow, overgrown path and didn't end up in the river. It'll be Glentress next! Watch this space...

Well, Billowing Skirts! There's photos of the lodger* riding her bike on Flickr. She has a helmet, a pink one, which Katie (aged 4) generously lent her. That got a bit emotional because Katie is very very attached to her helmet, which she got for learning to ride her bike - she learnt one afternoon after I told her yes, she could have the pink helmet, but only after she learnt to ride her bike with pedals. Motivation! The helmet was hers. Dotty promised to buy a matching one (a child's one I think!) and Katie relented. The two of them then trilled their bells in unison as we all sped along the pavement, scattering pedestrians left and right. How we laughed!

Other than that, it's the last weekend before the school goes back (3 big sleeps) and I go back to work after a glorious week off. Well, it seems that way from here, the days-on-end-incessant rain and stir-crazy children were pretty crap at the time. I have the Facebook entries to prove it.

Now more dissertation writing. The plan, after a chat with the wise lodger*, is to hand in chapters 1-3 tomorrow, with chapter 4 written but in pieces which I need to construct into a decent narrative. Then Chapter 5 "Conclusions", and I'm done. Right to the wire after 3 years - I can't imagine the relief it's going be. Major celebrations to follow!

* Dotty is of course not really our lodger. She doesn't pay a penny!