Cake success. Coffee fail.

A leisurely start to the day - I popped my clothes on over my jammies to take Archie out, then went back to bed for a wee while longer.

JR gets a gold star for going to the gym. And going for longer on the torture machines. I didn't bother. I think if I can do three swims a week, and keep that up, that will suffice.

I was keen to go and check out the new cafe that has opened at the beginning of the Hermitage of Braid walk. I always like to find new dog walks that include some sort treat for me, usually edible, of course. But decent coffee is a must.

This is Archie on the way to the walk. I knew he'd be too muddy to take a photo of on the way home. He's very good on the bus. Being clamped in between legs means that he doesn't really have much option. Though a few wee 'yips' slipped out when people got off the bus and he didn't. The triumphant 'yips' when we do get off are unavoidable - we just have to hurry.

We thought of going in to the cafe before the mud walk, but for some reason we carried on walking. Sure enough, every muddy puddle, every patch of mud - he scampered through. He was the muddiest dog by far of the many we met on the walk. There was one wee female schnauzer who was SO cute and SO clean. She wanted nothing to do with him.

However, we went into the cafe and hid him under the table in the corner. JR rewarded her gym visit with a bacon bap. I rewarded my lie in with a large slice of lemon drizzle cake. The coffees were nothing to write home about, even though the young chap had two attempts to make me a decent flat white. And failed twice.

We were home just as the drizzle came on. Archie had a Big Wash and is back to his gorgeous sweet smelling self.