Fossil Hunting - Day 35

The morning dawned rain free and after a nice 45 minute Facetime with our Natalie, Gordon and I decided we better head out early to fossil hunt while the weather holds.  We headed up the Selkirk Road in search of the path Bob, from the museum, directed us to and pulled off the road.

Water runs from above us under the road.

To join a stream that we are going to explore.

The sheep scatter as Gordon heads over a burn.

Looking back down the Selkirk Road

And back toward our wee car.

There are slopes of shale along the hillsides and small disturbances of rock along the ridges.   The rams and sheep plow through here regularly and churn up the soil and grass exposing bits of colorful rocks and fossilized shale.

Fossil hunting boy.

A look to where we are heading....

.....and from where we've come.

Not sure what happened here!  Man v. wild!?!

The water fall at the end of the small canyon.

Most of the places we walk around Moffat you never see a soul so it is very peaceful.   I like to pretend I am living in a time long ago when there weren't many people around and picture myself as some pre-Victorian woman in my big skirts and parasol exploring with my rugged, macho, Scottish husband!  Replace the skirts and parasol with Wellies and a rain jacket and, bingo, here I am, watching my rugged, macho, Scottish husband hunting for bits of fossilized shale!!!!

Fossil hunting boy continues the hunt!

See fossil boy way up on the shale hillside?

There he is with a pocket full of fossils!

More Man v Wild.

Bones of spine and lamby poops.

After our walk we drove further up the Selkirk Road to have tea at a little place we have talked about going for years, called Tibbie Shiels built in the early 1800's.  It's an old stagecoach stop between Selkirk and Moffat and between two Loch's - St. Mary's and Loch of the Lowe's.  The water was completely flat and like a mirror.  Check it out:

Across Loch of the Lowe's

OMG!  This might become a frame-able piece!

Or perhaps this one!

Grouse and sheep

More grouse and sheep.  There's a very popular, middle-of-the-road priced Scotch called The Famous Grouse.

Hello you two!

She looks fun eh?

Inside Tibbie Shiels Inn.  The ceiling is slightly higher than Gordon.

Watch your head!  The people were/are little here.

St. Mary's Loch.

Gorgeous!

Tibbie Shiels Inn.

A statue to Shepard Hog.

A winter sheep pen.

Back to Moffat for a relaxing afternoon.  Gordon ran down the hill to the shops and to see about a local rugby game to watch.  I chatted with Maureen about seeing her again before we leave on Monday afternoon; planned dinner; watched a little TV; read and then hot showers for both.  The rain never fell however it was a gray afternoon for sure.

Got to check in with Jillie for a little bit around 5:30 while she was out for a walk.  Two down today...that's pretty good!  Miss you Ali!

Dinner tonight required using up as many food products as possible.  So I made:  chicken picatta (using up the lemons), little white potatoes with shallots (used all that up!), salad with black tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and grated Parmesan (used all that up too!) and our last bottle of pinot grigio while we watched Come Dine with Me.  Love that show and wish we could figure out how to do it in the states.

We are in to our final days here and enjoying a low-key weekend....anxious to get home but sad to leave the house again.  Tomorrow I need to focus on packing our clothes and treasured purchases from both Paris and here in Scotland.  We may go for Sunday Roast with Maureen tomorrow but that will depend on the weather!

Whatever we do, I'm sure we'll have fun!