Morning Mist at Avielochan

I got up very early this morning in order, I hoped, to beat the heavy commercial traffic on the road to Avielochan just outside Aviemore where there is a pretty little roadside loch. The A95 is the main route from Aviemore to places like Grantown on-Spey and Elgin and is busy with lorries shuttling back and forth with food, oil, timber and farming machinery as well as car commuters. But it is not a broad road as it nears Aviemore and really quite a challenge for cyclists when it's at its busiest.

Early though it was, it seemed that the lorries had already beaten me to it.
The traffic noise was all so different to the peace and tranquillity in the hills behind the steading yesterday morning.

However at the lochan itself I got off the road and all the thundering lorries were forgotten. It was such a cold morning that a mist was rising in wreathes above the water. The little house at the water's edge was still asleep but the cows were up and grazing. In amongst the trees a carpet of fallen beech leaves and moss was wet and glistening with dew.
A few blips and it was time to brave the road again and be thankful when I could get onto the cycle path at the Carrbridge junction.

Back at the steading it wasn't yet 7o'clock and far too early to get the morning papers, so it was back to bed with my book.

Later his Lordship and I went for a short cycle run intending to go to Carrbridge via Nethy Bridge and Dulnain Bridge However I took a wrong turning somewhere along the line and lo and behold we found ourselves back on the infamous A95 with the endless lorries hurtling past. When It started to rain, we called it a day and had coffee back at the steading instead.

Now the sun has reappeared and we are heading out for a walk in the woods with the binoculars. Goodness knows what we'll find, but it will surely be a big surprise!