Freedom, at last!

You only fully appreciate the extent and impact of the sensory deprivation when you are released from it...

Everything about our expedition to the Pentland Hills this evening to the do the extended Harlaw potter (completed at a good clip) felt strange. Going outside the ring road for the first time since 4 March. Driving up from Currie past loads of no parking signs and traffic cones. Finding the car park still full at 7.30pm, but it was mainly anglers, not walkers.

But once walking, the sensations flooded in, and everything felt good again. It was great to be in our 'happy place', and I hugely enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells of the 'almost' countryside of the Pentland Hills. I've added a couple of extras by way of celebration. We were last here on 25 January. It feels like a lifetime ago.

Now we're home, having a cup of tea, and contemplating an early night. It was strange anyway to walk in the evening, but we decided this was the better option because we had a couple of drinks last night, so early morning walking was not an option. The day time would be far too busy with the risk of not getting a parking space.

Earlier, I did some yoga, some reading and some laundry. Mr A produced an excellent evening meal from the kitchen with the Tuscan sausage I brought back from George Bower in Stockbridge, a tin of butter beans and various other things from the fridge.

A nice topped off end to the weekend.