A Very Welcome Visitor

Shot of the Day

It was one of those day's that just got better and better. After the best nights sleep I've had in ages I awoke to a beautiful sunny morning. After a hearty breakfast  and feeling rejuvenated I went and did my turn at the moorland feeders. The door to the new hide was unlocked so after filling the feeders I spent some time inside. Once the floor is laid and benches are installed it will be a great asset. The view of the feeders at the moment is clear but when the vegetation is fully grown the feeders on the right hand side might be slightly obscured but I'm sure a little light trimming here and there should provide an adequate view of the feeders.

On the way home I stopped off at the Buccleuch Centre to purchase tickets for a concert coming up in June. I joined Mike Tinker for coffee and we were joined by newly appointed Centre manager Alan Weatherstone. I then went by Wauchope Cottage to see if Tootlepedal had any plans for the afternoon, but he was already dressed to go out and asked me to join him. 

We headed off round the new 3G pitch and over the Jubilee bridge stopping to take a shot up river and down river.

We hadn't gone too far when Tootlepedal spotted this delightful robin perched in the lower branches of a tree by the path. He was a bit bedraggled but was quite happy to pose for us.

 "if I new you were coming I would've dressed better"

 " I think this is my best side"

Langholm Lodge

Duchess bridge. In a couple of months this view will be obscured.

Clearing up at the pheasant pens.

Holmhead

This is where I spent the first three years of my life.

This kill was so fresh I've a feeling we may have disturbed the predator.

The winter sunlight brought the best of normally dull trees.

 This old tree stump has taken on some interesting features with age.

Tootlepedal wanted to try and get a flying bird of the day so we stopped off at the Kilngreen.

Town bus driver Brian gives us the thumbs up. He's a very obliging and cheery chap and a pleasure to travel with. 

My best effort of a flying bird.

On arriving back home I was greeted by my old school pal Graham Rodger who had just arrived on the off chance that I would be at home. This was a most unexpected pleasure as I hadn't seen Graham for a number of years, even though he lives in Carlisle. We shared many good times with when we were teenagers some not blogable. Somehow our lives took different paths but it was nice Graham looked me up to re establish the friendship. We spent the afternoon catching up and reminiscing. Graham and I have went through a similar experience these last few years and it was good to share how we felt and are managing to adapt to a different way of life. In the evening I collected Tootlepedal and we went and put a week of the E&L into the database. 

A Walk and a Drive a New Pair of Boots

Shot of the Day

Saturday

I spent most of the morning doing general housework and making a pan of parsnip and potato soup for my lunch which I might say was quite delicious. Tootlepedal phoned to invite me for a coffee but I declined as I had just sat down to a cup of coffee I had just poured for myself. He and Mrs Tootlepedal were planning a quick trip  into Carlisle and we arranged to meet later for a short walk. 

Whita Hill living up to its name

We met as planned and decided to have a nice leisurely stroll round the Murthholm. Although the ground conditions are improving Tootlepedal made the wise decision to wear yaktraks, I made the unwise decision to wear a pair of trainers but I did manage to get round without coming to grief. It was a lovely day for a walk but the sunshine was accompanied by a very cold wind which we would be going against on the return part of the walk.

It's good to see families out walking

Murtholm Farm

The holly berries were eye catching against the green of the leaves.

Looking back towards Meikleholm and Timpen.

We both stopped to take the obligatory photo of the old distillery.

I just love the way the water has shaped these stones over countless years.

Tootlepedal pointed out this fungus that was attached to an old tree stump.

This picture picture shows the old railway bridge getting dismantled and what the same spot looks like now.

The lichen on one of the suspension bridge supports caught my eye. 

We returned to Wauchope Cottage for a welcome cup of tea and one of Mrs Tootlepedals delicious hot cross buns. 

Sunday

Once again we were treated to a day of brilliant sunshine, this time there didn't seem to be the biting wind that we had yesterday. No Tootlepedal to accompany me today as they both were away on choir duty in Carlisle. Instead of a walk I decided to have a run up to the moorland feeders to see how the new hide was coming on.

Quite nicely by the looks of things. I'm sure Toolepedal, I and others will make good use of the hide in the coming months.

A very grand bug hotel.

I took a stroll back down the road to see if I could get some shots, when I met Bruce, Lesley and Guthrie. Guthrie thought it would be good idea for Bruce and Lesley to visit the feeder station as they had never been up that part of the road. 

 I them moved on to  The Hollows bridge and took this shot when I parked the car. I've done a comparison showing the same shot Autumn and Winter.

The beauty of living in such a beautiful area you have an abundance of favourite views and this is two of mine taken from Gilnockie bridge, looking upriver and looking down river.

 

I then continued on to Canonbie. Walking down towards the Kirk this strangulated tree trunk caught my eye

The path by the grave yard was free of snow and ice but when I came to the river bank it was too slippy for me to continue on that route so I crossed the fence into the adjacent field where walking on the level and on fresh snow was much safer. I wanted to see the result of a  rock slip that had occurred recently. That must be very close to someones garden which must be quite scary. 

I couldn't resist one more shot of the Kirk

Having splodged about lately in footwear that wasn't quite up to the present conditions I took a run across to Gretna Gateway and purchased at a very reasonable price a pair of lined rubber boots. All I need now is Yaktraks.

It's Snow Time

Shot of the Day

When I woke up this morning I was greeted by about 4 inches of snow that had fell through the night and another inch was to follow over the course of the morning. This put paid to all plans I had for the day. I was due to go to Carlisle to conduct some business but it wasn't that important that it warranted I should travel. I also reneged from taking my turn at the moorland feeders, which was rather disappointing as I wanted to see the grand new hide that has been constructed. I spent the morning catching up with college work that I had got behind with when I was off with my toe. While I was doing this I set the camera on the tripod and set the timer to take a series of photos to make a time lapse video of the snow at the rear of my house. Which hopefully you can view below.

After lunch and a snooze I went out and cleared the paths around the house and cleared the car of snow. I then spent a couple of hours processing the photos on Photoshop which was fun to do. In the evening Tootlepedal and I went to the Archive Centre to put a week of the E & L into the database but as there was no connection to the internet so we retired to Wauchope cottage and did the work there.  

Unfortunately viewing the time lapse video here on full screen it seems to have lost a lot of quality which is very disappointing as it is fine on my Facebook page.

Rather Dull

Shot of the Day

My shot of the day shows the new primary school along with the newly installed 3G Pitch.

 The reflected light under the arches was quite appealing

 Looking down the Esk 

 The winter sun gives Castle hill a warm look

 A rather dull cricket pitch

A nice sunlight on Whita Hill

After a rather embarrassingly late lie in this morning I rose and made myself some brunch. I had arranged to visit Langholm Camera Club member Mairi Telford Jemmeh who had just returned from spending Christmas with family in The Gambia and had asked me to show her how to use Picasa. Mairi had some stunning people shots and they only needed a little tweak here and there and she had some masterpieces. I paused occasionally on the way there and on the way back to take some rather uninteresting shots. Even thought the sun had obligingly come out I still couldn't find anything of real interest hence a rather dull blog today.

Love it or Loath It

Shot of the Day

 I thought I'd take advantage of the sunshine that we were afforded later in the morning. I did some basic housework then set off heading for the Buccleuch Park. Stopping on the way to take a panoramic shot of the town from Scot's Knowe which is my shot of the day. 

This cottage stands overlooking the town from Scot's Knowe and even though it's in some state of disrepair I think it still retains some charm.

I also took one of Jimmy's Brae to compare it with one from the Langholm Archives. 

Passing through the park I noticed the flood marker from the great flood of 1977. More pictures of the flood can be seen on the Langholm Archive link.

My intentions were to go on the path along the river bank which had just been reopened after a recent land slip.

Sadly I don't think it'll be too long before this path has to be closed on safety grounds which will be a great pity as it is a very popular path with local walkers and visitors.

You can't help but walk this section with some trepidation as to when the next landslip will be hoping you wont be on it at the time.

After a short walk the bad section opens up to what is known as the Beachy Plains. This is another comparison picture showing the path in 1985 prior to the mature beech trees being felled and replanted.

When got to the end of the Beechy Plains I switherd whether to head up the hill and return by the Stubholm or go left towards the Murtholm Farm and Skippers Bridge. 

I took a left and continued along the river side on much more substantial track.

 I couldn't help but notice the contrasting architecture of two houses on Hallpath across the river. Both were mill owner houses, one being built in sometime in the 19th century and the other in the later part of the 20th century. Love it or loath it I do think it's a good thing to have architecture that depicts the times we live in and this is a fine example of then and now.

The Skippers Bridge has had a fair amount of water through it's arches recently.

I paused on the bridge to take the obligatory shot of the old distillery when I noticed some rather stormy looking clouds heading down the valley towards me. 

It was as well I was homeward bound from that point as I was well and truly caught in it as I crossed the Suspension Bridge. Rather than go straight home I stopped of at the Buccleuch Centre for a light lunch of  delicious butternut squash soup and a cheese savoury sandwich.