The burn has subsided after the recent rain and guess who has come out. Captured by a remote camera - we rarely see them except at a distance on the Teviot. I really need to maintain the camera properly!
Generally pissed off, we decided to get over the Eildons - a real cardio run. 16k, complete with red mud - the dug is now literate (black, white and red all over). We were reminded why we always realise it was a mistake to do the annual Eildon run! Its only 7k, but the steep bits….
New Years Day in the #ScottishBorders. Some friends, the lovely and quite rare sunshine and playing hide and seek with Sam. A good way to start the year here. #GSD#GermanShepherd
Back in the #ScottishBorders and a glorious if icy evening. 13.5k past #Fatlips Tower and back through #Minto. The road was getting icy and I was convinced it would be micro-spiked trainers today. I need not have worried. Torrential rain forecast to go on for the rest of the day. So we’ll be walking with boots/ waterproofs in half an hour 😖
My partner, south for 5 days suggests ‘I make sure I save the weather, she wouldn't miss it for the world’.😝 #running#collie
We have a semi regular loop that can be split in two (work and lunch) that takes us across to
Lilliesleaf and back via Hawick with a cutoff in the middle.
A dry(ish) day, good light, but the wind is getting up (yellow warnings for tomorrow).
29k (in two parts), mainly road with 5k over the Mintos. Dark at the end - a high power head torch is discombobulating for the odd fast driver.
I know this is a little local, but it you live in The Borders, please have a look at their budgets survey for 2024-25. If we don't provide some feedback we cannot complain when they don't do things. And the results will be available to used to provide a pat on the head or a beating stick for your councillors afterwards.
Even my vocal new best friend oot the back pheasant has sensibly decided to stay sheltered. Is this a new #Storm or just the climate change enhanced #Darkcember new normal?
And it is dry! A short 8.5 run, we will walk it this afternoon to collect some of the bottles and cans that lazy bar stewards throw from their car windows.
But dry with a wee nip in the air. Road, but the dug took a brief dip in the Teviot to get of some of the grime a Collie just can't help collecting at this time of the year.
Wistfully contemplating the pouring rain through my office window yesterday I thought back to the flowers that line the wall in the spring and summer. It seems difficult to imagine they will ever come back!
Bit of time to kill before we pick up my partner from Edinburgh. So we ran up to Fatlips Tower (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatlips_Castle) the origin of the name is not straightforward.
Road to the base and then track and road back. Cold (but the heating in the cottage is kaput) and a low mist hung over the hills. The dug returned to the scene of early reading experiments.
17k relaxed and back to huddle round the fire in the kitchen.
The harbourmaster's office in the lovely village of St Abbs in the Scottish Borders. The name has ancient origins. In 635 a Northumbrian Princess who later became St Aebbe founded a monastery close to what is now St Abbs Head. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/stabbs/stabbs/index.html
Snow is here got out and ran up to the Souther Upland way from Selkirk (we have done the whole of the long distane path in setions).
Extremely quiet, another runner with her dugs and a cyclist with hers as well the only people we saw. Just the wind and the crunch of feet (6 of them) on the snow. Mainly tracks with 1k of road.
It has all got a wee bit cold. We might even need to share the bedroom with 2 kits, a dug and a puppy jut to keep up the temperature 🤦♀️ (just joking, the mogs would never have that).
But good surfaces and a lovely sky. Moon over the Mintos and while carried, no head torch needed
13k road with a little squidgy c/o a passing horse.