Creatures of habit

We’re creatures of habit, and one of our happy places stems from doing the Harlaw, Threipmuir, Green Cleuch, Black Hill walk. Since I started blipping, we seem to have done it now seven times.

For the record:
July 2014
February 2017
May 2017
September 2019
January 2020
September 2020.

And now April 2021. For the record, it was 2 hours 35 minutes 32 minutes and 51 seconds (the pedant has been on his track logger), with a number of photo stops and a pause at the top of the steep bit on Black Hill to get our breath back. So that’s pretty good, considering the first couple of times it took us over 3 hours.

Another early start, partly to get ‘the best of the day’ (for us, as morning people), but also to evade the parking issue. In fact, we were back at the car at about 9.50am, and the car park was full. As we sat in the car drinking some water and eating cereal bars, before heading off, someone came over to ask if we were leaving... We had an interesting discussion as we drove home about whether it would be appropriate for the Council or whoever looks after the Pentlands to provide more car parking. We both agreed that we should have to pay for parking, in order to give some resource back in return for the burden that we’re placing on the environment.

Fairly idle for the rest of the day. Supermarket run. Picked up another trough and some compost at the supermarket, as well as some bedding plants. I finally potted out the prunus I bought weeks ago, that has been in its original pot all this time, as well as the new bedding (stocks). Let’s see what colour they provide. Still on the hamster wheel I described here. Laundry. A very short nap. And soon supper which will be some whole sea bass I picked up in the supermarket amongst the bargains.

I would have sat outside, but as yesterday although the sun is shining, and it’s doubtless nice when you are in the sun and out of the wind, the balcony has a chilly wind. So apart from going out to pot out my plants and do some watering, I’ve admired the sunshine from the safe vantage point of my chair.