Hunble readers may be under the impression that we elite bloggers need no encouragement to venture into The Great Outdoors at every opportunity, taking time off only to sleep, attend hospital appointments, and study gear catalogues.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Except for a Metropolitan policeman’s notebook. Obviously.
Now, yesterday, for example,was a lovely day for a walk, but, despite much noisy double-declutching, I just could not get my arse in gear to go out.Today was less promising weather-wise, but I forced myself out with one arm up my back, a revolver held to my head, and muttering to myself “The next man moves and the n****r gets it”Some of you may be aware that I live on the boundary between some nice rolling hills and some spooky flat stuff, with some fine woodland thrown in as the luckpenny.Today was the turn of the flat stuff – the Carse of Lecropt. Now, I blogged about this some 18 months ago and the post got no comments and very few page views, so I may be flogging a dead horse here. But if it worked for Waitrose……
We start off along the “Chicken Run”, a right of way through the grounds of the local factory. This is one of “my paths” – never anything to report – well used to get from one side of the village to the other.
The factory is one of the worlds biggest producers of bottle tops. Weird. Just like Jedburgh is the plastic coathanger centre of the universe.
On the other side of the railway is the other major local employer, the slaugh….,the abbat… the non-vegetable food processing plant.
You can see how the village nestles (sort of like condensed milk) in the foothills.
The M9 motorway with Craigforth, one of several crag-and-tail basaltic plugs which characterise the area. Like the Castle Rock and Abbey Craig (Wallace Monument) the shape demonstrates the effect of the hard volcanic rock resisting the glacier which then deposited the soft alluvial soils on the lee side, forming the tail
. 
This area has, at various times, been covered by ice, the sea and a peaty swamp. Now drained and limed, the heavy alluvial clay soil is ideal for growing oats and hay.
”Development potential. Needs some work, but in catchment area of good school”
Atmospheric pic. Like
Horse with packed lunch
The Shadows
Estate cottages.
Completing the loop – under the motorway this time.
This is what we would call a grass seed barrow –
now a plant holder !There are folk who would pay for something like that for restoration.
Well,as i said, I was less than keen at the beginning- there was a biting wind and some nasty looking stuff coming in from the West- but the wind dropped, the sun came out and I’m glad I went. Bit of a metaphor for life, really.
And talking of life. This little fellow didn’t make it. Case of “Hare today – gone tomorrow” So it goes.
Unlike the hare I feel suitably refreshed. In fact I feel so inspired I might force myself out tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Alen
Good luck, Alen.It's a dirty job, walking, but someone's got to do it.
DeleteBottle tops - Beer ? - the Horse meat factory - Geologists know that subduction leads to orogeny and thrusting makes the bed rock.-
ReplyDeleteAtmospheric pic, looks more like a muddy farm field and a free with kellogs camera -
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/194/dscf3871thumb1a.jpg/
and not a Swan in sight. - “Hare today – gone tomorrow” must be hard running across the road with only three legs ?
But apart from all that, the post was ok, right ?
DeleteYes the Bear enjoyed the post 9/10 you dropped a point for not having any Swans, did you know they have teeth ?
DeleteThe post was more than OK! Had me chuckling anyway. It's a tough remit this elite blogging, but somebody's gotta do it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reassurance, Mark.I was spooked a bit by the amount of red ink used by the previous marker !
ReplyDelete