... of Martins, Butterflies, Boats, and Athletes

21C so far today according to our local weather station. More cloud today, in a thin layer, but plenty of blue patches. Feeling very warm as the breeze has dropped. Shame that rain is forecast tomorrow, but making the best of it is fine :-)

Maeve the Deerhound and I set off for our walk around 11am today just in case it gets warmer. Better for Maeve as she enjoyed her walk without getting too hot. She can decide whether to stay inside in the shade or go out in the back garden this afternoon, I'll leave the doors open for her.

Walking down the bridle path towards the shore there was lots to see today. There were Martins flying low over the crops in the fields, performing their miraculous aerobatics as they pluck insects out of the air. There we lots of butterflies. Many more than recently. Lovely to see amongst the long grasses at the sides of the path and in the fields. Looking out to sea there were two of the Westhaven boats going back and forth slowly in the calm water pulling up creels then re baiting them and dropping them back over the side. Almost at the bottom of the path and approaching the shore road I noticed Eilish McColgan, one of our Olympic hopefuls, starting off on a training run. Her mother's business (The Liz McColgan Health Club and Physiotherapy Centre) sits just to the left of the bridle path as it emerges on to the shore road, and we often see the McColgans and other athletes running along the cycle path which runs parallel to the road.

On the beach and walking along towards the Fishermen's huts I was happy to see another small boat set off out to sea. It was the smaller boat that I have watched being repaired and painted and made ready for the water over the last couple of months, and although I have seen it in the water I hadn't seen it motoring along before today. It looked fine, with its bright white paint and the Fisherman standing by the tiller at the stern running out from the beach through the channels in the rocks.

One or two people at the Fishermen's huts today, most probably waiting for the boats to come in with the day's catch. Maeve and I wandered through from the beach and stopped to take a couple of pictures before wandering along the little road between the cottages and their gardens on the shore. A simple shot of a creel sitting beside one of the huts today, since I have been watching the boats out on the water.

I don't often mention the rest of our walk, but what we usually do is cross back over the railway line by a small road bridge then walk towards Carnoustie's High Street before turning right and walking up the main road away from the centre. We walk up a slight rise for about half a mile before turning again on our clockwise route to walk back along another half mile or so with fields on our left and houses on the right. Almost home by then Maeve often smartens up her pace for the last couple of hundred yards as if she is keen to get back home for a drink, or more likely to have a lie down :-)

Early this morning there was watering, and later there will be mowing and strimming.