From Scotland with love!

Monday 28th May 2007
Bank Holiday. All quiet on the training front.

Tuesday 29th May 2007
Early morning rain, abated before I set out. Watery domain up on tops, the perfect setting for the gurgling curlew calls. White van passes me in opposite direction. "Vestas" - they're the wind turbine people (Danish firm). Should have a word with the driver about the wind direction, ask if he can arrange for a tailwind on my way home. Perhaps he might throw the turbines into reverse this evening if I bung him 5 Kroner, get the air currents flowing south to north?
Must be quite an interesting job going from site to site maintaining wind turbines (if you happen to like cold wet windy outdoors environments). Wonder if they had itinerant windmill engineers in the olden days (listed in ye low pages, of course), or whether it was the local blacksmith and carpenter who sorted problems out? Or was Mr Dusty the Miller up to a little d-i-y bodging?
Flock of starlings "grazing" on the upper roughlands, near to Fly Flats reservoir. That's unusual. They're quite noisy.
Well I stayed dry on this journey, which was a pleasant surprise.
Rapunzel (3) - Rapunzel 2 (0) Am I back in favour with Rapunzel?
Blimey, someone's in the shower! Take my stuff upstairs and return 5 minutes later to find it's now vacant.
Time out 0:54 (tail wind)
Far from throwing the wind turbines into reverse, the Vestas man has pushed the turbo boost button, and put them on the fast spin cycle, fanning bitterly cold Northern wysiwyg whirligig windygusts in my general direction.
Return 1:00 dead (not quite literally)

Wednesday 30th May 2007
A brilliant morning, with high cirrus clouds, and a cold wind from the North West. Springwatch (not to be confused with watchspring) is on the telly at the moment (well not precisely this moment, but at 8 p.m. to be accurate).
I do like that program.
Don't seem to be seeing any Wheatears at the moment, how strange. That flock of birds on the moor tops are there again - they're not starlings at all, but something a bit smaller. Maybe they’re fieldfairs. Wish my eyesight was a bit more reliable. Booked in for an eyetest this Friday - new specs should make a difference.
Music for my ride is "Take me Out" by Franz Ferdinand. Good value as it's two tunes for the price of one (and two meanings for that matter).
Time out 0:58 (surprisingly, slower than yesterday)
Rapunzel (3) - Rapunzel 2 (0) Conclude I’m back in Rap’s good books.
As I take my new short cut past the dumpit site, a wren explodes into rapid-fire squeaky-singer-sewing-maching-gun bursts, piercing the air of the wooded Clough.
Return 0:58 (Mr. Vestas came good today)