Walking and Visiting and Shopping and Eating...Oh My! - Day 21

Today we woke up to overcast weather but almost a teeny little glimpse of sky.......wasn't that sky?  Kinda grey/blue/white.  Hmmmmmm what's it gonna do today?  Better get our day started and get out there.  

But first, the dryer runs but doesn't get hot and dry the clothes.  I've got a full dryer and a full washer.  Charli is leaving here on Monday and she has wet clothes that need tending before she leaves.  "Gordon.....can you help me?"  Naturally the Scotsman jumps in, puts his head into it and figures out how to solve the problem.  He virtually took the whole dryer apart to clean it and once he broke the vacuum cleaning the dryer....he took the whole vacuum apart to fix it to finish fixing the dryer!  If it isn't one thing it's another right?

Once done we head off for our walk around Gallow Hill.  The weather is looking more ominous....better bring an umbrella.  We venture out and up the road:

Gordon and Charli head up the little road toward the Heathery Haugh.  Old stone wall on one side....blackberry vines and thistle on the other.

 

The view from the Heathery Haugh back toward southern Moffat.  Our little cottage is just in that hamlet of homes.

The view going up the path of northern Moffat and the houses along the Old Edinburgh Road.

We head up the footpath to the forest.

Various fungi.

A kissing gate overlooking eastern Moffat.

Can't stop taking pictures of the spectacular views!

The tree's feet have moss socks on!

Charli feels the moss pants!

And moss shirts too!

They are dwarfed by ancient trees.  If we only knew what the trees knew.

Giants in our midst!

Graced by fungi....

....and mushrooms.

Behind Old Edinburgh Road, aka, the road into the Beef Tub.  View from Gallow Hill forest.

As we come off the hill towards Old Edinburgh Road we creep in behind a neighborhood that has some interesting houses.  This conservatory is beautiful with.....

...an interesting figure inside.....look closer....

What looks like a blood-drenched mannequin!

Flowers abound....

and grace the walkway.

We come across the outdoor bowling green....that's real grass not turf!

 Pass Maureen's home called Laurel Bank....

....to Hunter's home called "The Meadows" for coffee, a sweetie and a good visit.

Hunter's yard is being torn up by badgers!  But it's still lovely and with a spectacular view!  Gordon and I agreed we could sit looking out his window most of the day.  It would be a lovely view covered with snow too!

Rear view of Hunter's home with Charli and Gordon.

Hunter's laptop.  He wants to read my blog!

And we check out Hunter's motorcycle!

On he goes.....

...and Charli gives the bike a quick feel!  I think she looks pretty good!

Man and his motorcycle!  It's a beautiful thing!

We say goodbye to Hunter.  He is off for a fortnight visiting his sister and we'll catch up with him before we leave.  Meanwhile, the three of us head back to the house but get waylaid by the thought of a pint of beer at a local pub.  By now it's almost one and it's cocktail hour somewhere!

A pint and fish and chips later we finally make it back to the house for Charli and I to change clothes and have a day of shopping on the High Street.  First stop, Lothlorian!  Now I've already told you about this wonderful, interesting little shop but I haven't taken Charli there and I know she'll be interested.  We spent so much time there we had to leave to go to the potty and come back to finish!  Almost two hours later we both leave with a water jug and other goodies.  Linda and Derrick's shop is filled with every antique thing imaginable; all in beautiful condition and some stuff we can't even tell what it is!  You have to look high and low and you still can't see it all and there's loads of jewelery!  It's F U N!

Once we finally leave there we head down the street to shop for cashmere sweaters as gifts from Charli and for herself too.  We hit the shops on High Street, by the way it's pouring rain out, but end up at the Woolen Mill where the selection is greater.  What is with these bus tours that stop at the Woolen Mill?  Do the old people just stop there to let off gas?  I experience another farting episode! This time it's an older gentleman walking by that just cuts one loose and pretends it never happended!  Is it me?  Am I a fart magnate?  Geez! 

Back to the house it's 5:30, way past cocktail hour and my feet and legs hurt from all the walking and standing today.  Time for a hot bath and dinner.  Tonight I made organic rack of lamb with mashed sweet potatoes, sauteed brussel sprouts with shallots and black tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.  Pretty damn good!  And we tried Cumberland Mint jelly.  Not green mint but kinda golden.  Really good.

So it's 11:00pm and we are all ready for tucky-tuck.  Tomorrow is another big day.  We are heading up the Selkirk Road past the Gray Mare's Tail along St. Mary's Locke toward Kelso and Melrose.  We will see where Robert the Bruce's heart is buried and visit Sir Walter Scott's home called Abbotsford.  It's supposed to be a lovely day and we certainly could stand another day of NO RAIN PLEASE.