Smeaton, East Linton

His Lordship said, with a good deal of hindsight I might add, that we should have been on our bikes today, but first thing this morning, the world was white and perishingly cold.

Not only that, but the missing hour seemed to make all the difference to our lethargy levels, and so it was a car run to Smeaton Garden centre in East Linton for a browse and a portion of cheese scone.
There was still some snow loitering in shady corners with thick mud on the paths around.
This is the view from the middle of a quagmire

I felt brave enough this morning before breakfast, in the scud except for my glasses, which I need to see the reading, and after my gym visit, to stand on the scales without hanging on to the wall or other weight bearing appendages and find that despite the lapse of some chocolate Easter egg yesterday and three hot cross buns (over the last 3 days!), I have lost a stone since the beginning of the year.

While feeling good about this, I am under no illusions that the next stone to shift might not be so easy. But if I can manage that, then the cycling Lycra look for France will not be so horrific as last year and I will no longer have the description, to quote son#2, "of walking quite fast for a dumpy wee woman".