Boxing Day and Beyond.

The forecast had promised the clouds would clear away over night, after leaving a dump of snow on the Pentlands. We got up in the dark and arrived at the summit of Turnhouse as the first tinges of light could be seen in the eastern sky. decided to try out our team prize of mystery drinks from the Water of Leith half the night before. Jim Hardie had given us this advice, "Save the berry one to last, it's the best. Then the gin. The Whisky is something you should sip before pouring a glass."

Somehow or other we both got this backwards. We started with the Berry Vodka. It was very berry. Then we moved on to the gin. I've had a life-long fear of gin and this didn't do anything to alleviate it. It just tastes like something that made you sick as a teenager. It probably did. I can't remember. That might be part of it. It was dressed up as rhubarb and custard flavour. Hmmm, nope. Like a bitter old crone in girl clothes. I wasn't fooled for long. There was the twang of the gin. Euchhhhhhh!

Then the whisky. I approached with care. It was eye-smartingly strong, but then unexpectedly smooth and warming - and it seemed to have ethereal flavours of honey and lemon. How delicious! By this time I was pointing my finger a lot and laughing. Peter was laughing too. I'm not sure what the joke was.

Jim seemed a bit surprised when he heard I'd liked the whisky best. He said it was 'Rowantrees randoms dissolved in it." I take it that means those gum things. It worked a treat. I didn't even seem to get a hangover.

So it wasn't the crack of dawn when we left. It was half-past twelve by the time we got running and we were lucky to find a parking space at Flotterstone. Happily some people were packing up and going home for the day.

It was cold to start out but we soon warmed up and everything seemed pretty benign. Most of the people who were out were never going to make the little spinney of trees half-way up, let alone the summit of Turnhouse or anything beyond there. They were just out for a dawdle.

We passed them pretty quickly and got onto the higher ground, which really was another world. The wind was sharp and was blowing the powdery snow around. The usual paths were covered and visibility was poor. It was exciting and felt quite serious. We were both questioning if we really had enough clothes on or gear with us, but it's so easy to just drop down off the Pentlands we pushed on.

Turnhouse and Carnethy weren't too bad under-foot but Scald Law was a slog to get up and I spent a lot of time weaving to and fro trying to find better ground where I wasn't post-holing so much. Half way up Scald Law I saw that I had my own Brocken Spectre which I tried and tried to get a photo of, but it was faint at best, and then the wind would drop and the powder come out of the air and it would disappear. I guess spectres are like that.

A bit further up, a runner came out of the yellowy haze, and then shortly afterwards Digby Maas. Digby had been on tough ground and was finding it hard going. The snow on the other side of the Law was taxing. I discovered I couldn't say Digby and the nearest I could come up with was Diggaby, at which point I realised my face was numb. Very similar to winter swimming in the sea! Peter's hands had been frozen all the way. He had gloves on, but not his fattest ones, and his hands get cold more easily than mine. Both of us agreed it would be wise to drop down to the road and come back that way, even though it isn't very exciting or appealing. 3 miles downhill on road in hill shoes isn't pleasant and the valley was mostly in a deep, cold, refrigerator gloom.

It passed fairly quickly though. It was a relief to get out of the knife-like wind.

I only realised back at the car that I'd accidentally dug a hole in the back of my heel and never felt it.

There is a Brocken Spectre there. You just have to believe.

Mystery Runner.

Diggaby.

ouch.

Today it was lovely and bright again. Again the team were slow in rousing themselves. But it was set fair all day, so it really didn't matter. A sharp wind again but East Lothian has dodged most of the snow. There was just a little frost and ice here and there.

The beach was spectacular, and cold, and mostly empty. We went a trip to the subs.

I haven't quite mastered the jumpy shadow thing yet.

I haven't had a shower yet, and it's going to be a sunny day again tomorrow! So I better get going. I like this not-working thing. I'm in on Friday, but then that's it again for a while. :-)