Cabin Fever

Much as I was longing to be off work, the days are short, the flat is small, the telly is no distraction (generally). We'd tried to get out a longish run a few times and found ourselves skating on ice or high-stepping through snow-drifts - unable to cover much ground. So it was without much expectation for a clear run that we took the car to the near end of Silverknowes and ran along the front heading for what we call the Airport loop. The front had been icy but a new shower of snow had made the surface more runable. The weather report had said - 5 so I was wearing three layers on top and thick tights and a woolly hat. This seemed about right.

I had insisted that we take supplies in case it turned into a 3 and a half hour epic wallowing in deep snow at sub-zero temperatures - but when we turned off under the trees up the river towards the airport we found the path in very good condition. This way is sometimes difficult in summer because of the mud but the cold had frozen it hard and the fresh layer of snow took care of the traction. My dark mood from feeling trapped at home with some kind of eating compulsion began to lift as it looked like things were not going to be so hard after all.

Up the riverbank things were pretty nice. The path winds in and out of the trees. There were squirrels and possibly a wren. The ground stayed good all the way.

It seemed quite bright out with the snow but looking back on photos I can see that there wasn't much light - it was just our eyes compensating. I wonder if absence of light leads to eating? We could test it out on rats, or, for that matter, our mouse, which visits when, presumably, the neighbours scraps become too thin on the ground.

What little wind there was was behind us on the way back along the promenade so it was quite warm and the light was nice as the sun was just setting. 11.3 fairly unhampered miles. I couldn't raise much speed but Peter was sprinting hither and thither. (Following smells no doubt.)

To top off an already uncannily good day I got over 100,000 playing dx ball on the computer and the The Simpsons The Movie was on the telly. I'd forgotten how funny it is. All I have to do today is get my exhaust fixed. It inexplicably broke on the way back from Silverknowes. Could the cold have broken the welding? I don't know anything about it so will doubtless have to pay an idiot charge at Kwik-Fit.