September has arrived along with an Indian summer. Makes a very pleasant surprise

 A few days away in Ayrshire, across the water. Forecast was cloudy, but it materialised that the sun poked its head out and fortunately for us stayed out. A pleasant and definitely needed ray of warmth after such a dismal summer. 

Meandered through the countryside away from the coast,  along back roads, up lanes only just wide enough for the car. Climbing into the hills, passed derelict farms, wild moorland and the odd Loch. 

Managed to keep well away from civilisation, just the odd hamlet with a few houses here and there. Had to back up and find a gap on a couple of occasions to allow a tractor to get by. On another occasion came head to head with a Waitrose food delivery van. Fortunately there was a drive not far away for me to tuck into. Obviously people of wealth hidden away in this backwater, taking advantage of the home delivery service. Those little luxury items along with the high quality basics that Waitrose is renowned.

Eventually descend into a valley, emerging back into the frenetic transport artery linking major towns within Ayrshire and the Boarders with the capital, Glasgow. Fortunately we just skirted by and across into the backwaters, ending up at a place we had always wanted to visit. The Lochwinnoch RSPB sanctuary in Renfrewshire. A protected wetland area for bird-watching with many nature trails that circle the lochs. 

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Had the place virtually to ourselves, not necessarily the best time to see migrating birds, most have already decided to head back home. The few that were around swiftly went into hiding when confronted with the screaming children let loose by the uninterested parents, who just seemed happy to allow their unruly offspring to clamber around the hides. Fortunately, we only came across two such buggy pushing parties. It was a pleasant walk, and we did see geese, swans and the odd long tailed tit hopping from tree to tree once we) had walked well into the sanctuary. But the clouds had hidden the sun, the wind had got up and the rain had begun to fall. Time to head indoors. Coffee.

In fact managed to view more bird life in the café/shop and viewing gallery, with its live monitoring stations, around the walls. They also had a fantastic range of binoculars to test out. Amazing what you can see with a quality bit of equipment. But quality comes at a price. Some serious gear, priced accordingly. Trust me to pick up the most expensive pair at £2000.

Sat back with a coffee and a delicious homemade shortbread. Well that’s what it said on the packet. Watching the antics of all the various birds eating away from the various offerings broadcast on the screens. Fascinated by the images of osprey chicks, only to be informed by the assistant that l was chatting to, that the image was a live feed from Pitlochry, 100 miles away. But she assured me all the others were from around this site. 

Coffee shop and viewing gallery

Stayed overnight in a delightful hotel, sister hotel to the Riverside in Irvine which we use on a fairly regular basis, especially when walking in the area. The restaurant and staff were great, as was the the room, albeit a little passed its sell by date. But the real problem was the location, being virtually on the M77. In fact , only metres away. 

The traffic noise was unbelievable. The constant thundering of lorries and the hum of black rubber on tarmac. Sounded and felt like we were sleeping, or trying to sleep in a HGV.  Good job we had earplugs. Yet the vibration still shook every bone in your body. And the traffic never stopped. You would have thought that somewhere miles away from any major city would quieten down around midnight. But it continued throughout the night. Could be traffic associated with Prestwick airport, but who knows. Surprisingly enough, Judith just brushed it aside and had a hearty breakfast before heading South towards the coast.

First walk, a 8 mile coastal path from Maidens up to Culzean Castle and back. The weather was truly amazing. Can’t believe how luck we are.

Maidens, home to the famous Wildings Hotel. Many of the top golfers stay or dine here during the Open golfing championship at Trumps Turnberry course. We had a pleasant weekend with our friends Pat and John from Carlisle many years back. Sad to say, Pat has passed and John is in a home with severe dementia. But it’s good to have memories of great times shared.

Reckon this was put up especially for the dog owners, for which there were many. Get the feeling that people use the beach to save them having to pick up the poop.

Ailsa Craig in the background in the outer Firth of Clyde. Recognised for producing the finest curling stones.

Climb up the cliffs and continue around the headland towards the castle, before heading back down to the beach, and the old washing house that served the castle. Former home of the Marquess of Ailsa, chief of clan Kennedy. Now owned by the National Trust of Scotland.

First glimpse of the castle from the boathouse

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Superb view of the the house from the extensive gardens

As we walked through the gardens we came across some spectacular woven sculptures.

Gorgeous gothic summer house, now used extensively for that perfect wedding photo shot

More woven sculptures down at the electricity works

Back to the hotel after stopping off for an early dinner in Ayr. Yes you guessed it. Fish and chips with a pint of ipa. Creatures of habit.

Then after a reasonable sleep, exhausted from the days walk and the odd nightcap, we headed over to Dunfries House and gardens. Followed by a short circular walk along the River Ayr.

Prince Charles as was, now King Charles in front of the house, that he saved by his timely intervention, paying over £45 million for the estate. Set in 2000 acres of stunning landscape. 

We have spent many days over the years visiting the grounds and gardens. The Princes Trust provides numerous programmes for education and training. What was falling apart has been totally transformed through his foresight and eagerness to save such a wonderful estate, whilst at the same time bringing work and stability to a community devastated by the closure of the surrounding mines. The estate now is the second largest employer in East Ayrshire.

Nice ideas for our Japanese garden, as well as others for vegetable beds. Only downside for us is the necessity to fence off due to the deer. They seem to love all that grows, especially our fruit and vegetables, particularly the roses and tulips. Then again, the slugs are quite unabashed by their roaming and munching habits throughout our raised beds.

Stopped off for a walk, along the river Ayr. Just a short 4 mile circular walk along the river before heading through the woods. 

Passing through the Auchincruive Estate and back to Oswald House with its arboretum, ornamental gardens and array of glass houses. Must have been superb country house in its day. Now it’s a centre for abuse dependency, run by the council. On our return as we pass the sports ground at the rear of the grand house we caught site of a group of around twenty being taught archery. Presumably, out door activities can take their mind of their addictions. 

Scotland continues to suffer drug related deaths at levels unseen anywhere else in Europe. It’s reported that three Scots die as a result of drugs every single day. Three times worse than any other country. Even though the number of deaths in Scotland fell by a fifth in 2022, it is still nearly double what it was when the SNP came to power.

All along the river the banks have been managed extensively by the the use of local sandstone walling. The estate used unemployed miners to perform the work back in the 1830s. A type of job recreation scheme. Very forward thinking.

But it’s not just walling, the labourers  also constructed spectacular hanging gardens, along with a traditional walled garden, greenhouses and other features within the grounds of the estate that overlook the river.

An idyllic tranquil setting. The ducks seem happy enough, frolicking about.

Some great pools for fishing. Will have to check out if they sell daily tickets, and what the fishing is like. More importantly, are they still having a good run of salmon. More homework.

Then into Ayr for dinner, followed by a walk through the centre to hunt out the salt works. 

Judith had found the salt in the shop at Dunfries House made in an unusual manner, although according to the girls in the shop, it’s a traditional method in these parts, of running salt water over Blackthorn.

Each batch of seawater – 26 thousand litres of it- is reduced to a mere 2 thousand litres.

The Tower uses the natural process of evaporation by harnessing the sun and wind in drying up the sea water that percolates through the Blackthorn. In Autumn this can take a couple of weeks , but at the moment, during the summer it’s just a couple of days – astonishing!

Spoiler Alert - just starting a bitching episode. It’s an age related thing. Memory recalls the past through rather selective rose coloured glasses. Then balks at some of the antics l experience and read about today.

Perhaps he was trying to get away from his wife. 

What a entitled and inconsiderate pair. The dipstick of a man just walked through the no entry sign and dived into Elvis’s pool at GraceLand whilst his wife filmed the whole exploit. Presumably a stunt to get seen on TikTok.

Seems that quite a few Brits are getting up to stupid antics across the globe. Recently a gym instructor from Bristol was filmed carving his name into the 2000 year old Colosseum in Rome. Others caused chaos as they stripped naked in a famous Roman fountain whilst tourist snapped photos for uploading onto social media. And the number of drunken louts who get thrown off aircraft seems to hit the tabloid headlines daily. Only yesterday a couple were escorted off an easyJet plane by police after being caught having sex in the toilet.

For some reason, people have the idea they can do anything they like these days, no matter who it hurts or offends. “We can, so we do “ what a selfish attitude.

Then we have the single mother who was 'forced to head straight to a foodbank' after returning from a two-week Cyprus getaway.  She borrowed money to splurge on a holiday romance with a man who 'used her and let her pay for everything'

Thousands had been moved reading online of how Francesca said she had even struggled to scrape together £18.50 for a large margherita pizza. The delivery driver felt 'heart broken' for the family, so decided to leave them £40 a few days later. 

The world has turned upside down.

Good job everyone isn’t so insular and selfish. This coffee shop has come up with a scheme to help keep the beaches clear of rubbish.

On a similar theme, found this on Facebook. Epitomised my memory of my childhood. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL BORN IN 1930's, 1940's, 50's !!!

First, you survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate coleslaw made with salad cream, tuna from a tin, ate weetabix spread with margarine and didn't get tested for diabetes. Cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints. You had no childproof lids on medicine ..medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when you rode your bikes, you had no helmets, not to mention, the risks you took hitch-hiking .. As children, you would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a van - loose - was always great fun. You drank water from the garden hosepipe and NOT from a bottle. You shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. You ate cakes, white bread and real butter and drank pop with sugar in it, but you weren't overweight because...... YOU WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

You would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach you all day. And you were OK. You would spend hours building your go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out you forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, you learned to solve the problem . You did not have Play stations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no text messaging, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........YOU HAD FRIENDS and you went outside and found them! You fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents you played with worms(well most boys did) and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. You made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although you were told it would happen, you did not poke out any eyes. You rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them! Local teams had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing you out if you broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. You had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and you learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS! 

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good. And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

Now let’s look at the new generation, Generation Z. It consists of people born between 1997 and 2012. The oldest of this generation are reaching 25 years of age, with many now out of college, getting married, and starting families. They follow on the heels of the millennials (born between 1981 and 1996).

Another possible trait, often attributed to this generation, Wokeism. A term used to describe a social and political movement that seeks to address and correct social injustices, inequality, and discrimination. It emphasises recognising and challenging systemic issues, like racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression. Nothing wrong with their aims as long as it doesn’t adversely effect the majority.

Jeremy Clarkson. Whilst holidaying in France asked some twentysomethings “what, in their minds, was good about Britain”. There was an awkward silence, before one of them replied: “Nothing.”

To Gen Z, “all the stuff that made my generation proud to be British is now something to be ashamed of”. Winston Churchill was a racist. The British Museum is full of stolen artefacts. “Our stiff upper lip causes mental health issues.” And we were only able to give the world “penicillin and the internet and television” because of slavery. “Which we invented.” The kids “genuinely believe all this stuff”.

There’s no point arguing because that would be “mansplaining”, so we moved the debate on to today. Again, they couldn’t think of anything British that made them proud. And there’s no point arguing with that either, because they’re right. “I look at Britain today and I simply don’t know what’s holding it together.” If you want a decent plumber, “you’ll have to wait until we rejoin the EU”. We can’t build HS2. We don’t have enough nuclear physicists to construct a power station. “Our aircraft carriers seem to break down more than they run.” What we need is that four-letter word Margaret Thatcher gave us in the 1980s. “Hope.” A chance to buy our houses and become shareholders and “make cash and beat the Argies and make Britain great again. Hoorah.” But in the minds of those poor, deluded Gen Zedders, Britain never was great. “It’s always been awful, it still is now, and it always will be. But sadly they can’t offer any soutions.

Jeremy is a bit like Marmite, you either love or hate him. But his ranting and observations resonate.

Anyway let’s hope the new generation can resolve all the problems we have made and leaving behind.

Although each generation believes the previous has screwed it up. 

But hindsight is a marvellous thought which is used by politicians all the time.

The ability to understand and realise something about an event after it has happened, although they didn’t  understand or realise it at the time.

Too much thought. It’s time for a refreshing Martini. Chilled to perfection. A real hit of pure indulgent luxury.

The club kayaking season has come to an end with a fantastic paddle in near perfect conditions

A few more photos, pity the bull seal was only captured on the phone. He was magnificent, especially when he did a leap between the two kayaks. He was massive. Such power.

What a great evening. Perfect for the last session of the season.

7am on Loch Loskin and the trout are rising, but only for the first hour.

Still great fun. One landed and returned, two lost, four flies disappeared into oblivion, wrapped around weeds.

Head over the water, then into Glasgow for lunch

Mac and cheese sharing platter with a nice Chilean white

Places is packed with football supporters, for the supposedly friendly between Scotland and England at Hampden Park

The milky way, photo from the balcony using the hand held  iPhone 

Amazing feat. 

From watching the stars at night to flying up into them. Captain Kirk, actor William Shatner, describes his flight into space, at the effect it has on him.

“Last year, I had a life-changing experience at 90 years old. I went to space, after decades of playing an iconic science-fiction character who was exploring the universe. I thought I would experience a deep connection with the immensity around us, a deep call for endless exploration.

"I was absolutely wrong. The strongest feeling, that dominated everything else by far, was the deepest grief that I had ever experienced.

"I understood, in the clearest possible way, that we were living on a tiny oasis of life, surrounded by an immensity of death. I didn’t see infinite possibilities of worlds to explore, of adventures to have, or living creatures to connect with. I saw the deepest darkness I could have ever imagined, contrasting so starkly with the welcoming warmth of our nurturing home planet.

"This was an immensely powerful awakening for me. It filled me with sadness. I realized that we had spent decades, if not centuries, being obsessed with looking away, with looking outside. I did my share in popularizing the idea that space was the final frontier. But I had to get to space to understand that Earth is and will stay our only home. And that we have been ravaging it, relentlessly, making it uninhabitable."

-- William Shatner, actor

read more - https://viralquill.com/travel-journey-of-grandma-joy-and-her-grandson/

Finished off the rill with slate.

Wildlife around the pond is fascinating. All manner of insects in various stages of evolution 

Twelve holes already prepared for a new orchard. Unfortunately they haven’t arrived. And not long before we head away over to Stirling for a few days prior to heading South to pick up a cruise.

Disney ship leaving Greenock heading north. Looks amazing. Judith fancies booking a cruise, although there is a downside. Screaming children. And as everyone knows, they aren’t on the top of her wish list. 

16th September and it’s so wet and cold, decided to light the fire. By lunchtime we were wearing shorts and t-shirt. Obviously not as cold as we thought.

Well what a start to a cruise - Before we leave we’re on tender hooks for projects to be completed  or items to be delivered. In the end delivery arrived the day before departure to Stirling . So a mad rush to plant seven trees to start our new orchard. Not as bad as it sounds. l had prepared the holes - so the task wasn’t too difficult-Just an unnecessary pressure. The other delivery was a canopy for the top deck.; Initially arranged for delivery in July, postponed to August. then rearranged due to manufacturing problems and promised for 13th Sept

Didn’t arrive then - arrived once we hard left far Stirling - Bit of a shambles - But the original annoyance, anger + disbelief has been replaced by the acceptance that it’s not life threatening.

The goods were returned and will be dilivered once we are hame again. Late November. It will be What it will be ...

Eventually get off to Stirling for a couple of nights away, stopping off at various nature reserves before eventually getting to the hotel at the University. Conveniently placed just outside of the city with fantastic bus links into town. Saves worryingly about parking. 

Then south to pick up the NCL ship around Ireland.

Drove over to Dunblane. Interesting town, especially the old part, and the cathedral was amazing.

Will go quiet for awhile. Judith has us booked on three cruises, all back to back. A NCL around Ireland for ten days, then the Aurora to the Mediterranean including the Greek  islands. Never visited before. Then once we get back to Southampton, we stay onboard the ship and head out to the Caribbean. Home on 15th November. A little sun whilst Scotland battens down for gales and rain.