Ravelston Woods.

It was damp this morning, but not as cold. I attended our Candelmas service first thing where we held a virtual procession. We'd all sent in an image of ourselves holding a candle which were melded into a video procession. Very effective. Candlemas - which is actually in two days time but this was the nearest Sunday - is also known as the Presentation of Christ in the Temple marks 40 days after Christmas.
We had our virtual coffee and chat after which was fun too.
Colin and I went out for a walk before lunch while it was still quiet. This little icy pond is on the edge of the old Ravelston Quarry, which is now, sadly a building site for 3 luxury houses. The work came to a stop last year though so I'm not sure what is happening there. The whole site has been cleared though and looks very bare.
This pond is created by a stream which has come down from Corstorphine Hill. It was alive with birds, bluetits, great tits, blackbirds, a wren, chaffinches, we saw a wood pecker, squirrels and even a group of redwing to my delight. We were just about to move off when a fox ran from the pond side up and behind the tree. The second I've seen in the woods in just a few days.
We walked through the grounds of Mary Erskine to the path down to Queensferry Road. It's a very easy and very pleasant mile and three quarters round trip and nice to be off the roads for a while.
Back home and I wished some of those birds had followed us home. A very predictable garden birdwatch.: 2 dunnocks, pair of blackbirds, 2 crows, a robin, two magpies and a plastic heron!!!
We watched Charlie Boorman etc in India this evening. It was filmed many years ago but took me right back. Ironically the cameraman twisted his knee, tearing his cartilage and had to be flown back to the UK. I can empathise with that!
Keep safe everybody. February starts tomorrow, who'd have believed we could survive a year of this. Hopefully we're nearly there now though.