Locked down tight

I was going to tell you that nothing's been happening this January. Nicola has once again screwed the lid down on Edinburgh and we've been nowhere. I really don't seem to have a sense of how long this has been going on or how long it is since we've been out in the Berlingo, or any of the important stuff.

In England the numbers of Covid deaths have been away up, and if the telly is to be believed, the hospitals are toiling. The numbers were up in Scotland too but I think they've been levelling out, and although they're high they're not highest ever.

We've done it before - we've not to go anywhere or see anyone, except we can exercise as much as we like this time. Ironically, because nobody is going anywhere I've seen more people in the last wee while than I usually see in months because we are all sharing the small space which is Edinburgh.

Anyway, I was going to tell you that I thought nothing had happened - and then I saw my photos. I had genuinely forgotten that it had snowed! It snowed the other week there....as evidenced below.

So we went out a run. We hunted out our Yaktrax which we had bought in the sales many moons ago, after a bad winter. They were invaluable.

Buchanan had it in his mind he wanted to get to Corstorphine Hill and hounded and harried me all the way. For once it was me hanging back and taking photos. It was beautiful to get clear skies and sun. It was very very cold though - I rarely suffer from the cold after I've started running - but after a while bird-hunting up Corstorphine Hill I was wishing I had brought thicker gloves and a woollier hat.

By bird-hunting I mean with cameras.

Poor Anthony suffering from brass monkeys.

Woodpecker

Kookaburra

Maybe you can help me with this. Up Corstorphine Hill we had a game of wild-life drinks. How many wild-life drinks can you think of? We did Kestrel lager and Woodpecker Cider and then we were stuck. I think Peter might have suggested MagnumPie Cider too, which is terrible.

Another day we ran to Cramond and back. 

And then on another icy cold day I suggested we run up the side of the canal and then over Craiglockhart Hill. This worked out pretty well. I had a thicker hat and gloves this time. After Craiglockhart I would have been ready to go home but Peter wanted to go and see if we could see rats at Blackford Pond. ALRIGHT THEN!!! We didn't see any. We saw people skating on the ice and people judging. It's been a theme hasn't it??? People doing, people judging.......

My mum gave me some money for Xmas and I got a new camera. One that's supposed to work well with low light. No I didn't need it. How old am I? 54. Never too old to receive cash for Xmas. You're just jealous. Anyway, I've not done much with my new camera except hang out the window at sunrise and sometimes at night, and it is good at picking up the subtle layers of colour in the sky. I got excited about the recent thing with Jupiter and Saturn in conjunction and I'm still planning SOMETIME to go down to St Marks Park in the dark with a tripod and take pictures of the stars.

old moon dresses to the left

Sun dog - Peter gets very excited about these

So this other day we went out to Warriston Cemetery. There was a lot of ice about but we were Yaktrak-ed up and ready for it.

Then we went on up the Water of Leith and back to Corstorphine Hill. We thought the woodpecker had more or less promised to be there but it was surprisingly cagey and shy this time. I saw it but couldn't get a clean shot and then it flew off and we were left with just tits and what-not.

and a Kestrel...lager

Oh and a wee finch or two on the way home - maybe. I don't know what I'm talking about frankly, but they're cute though aren't they?

Back to my new camera - this was another dawn....one of the few benefits of winter is dawn isn't that early and I'm much more likely to catch it.

Then today the ice had truly melted and so I ran my January half marathon. I was focused. No pictures until afterwards when I saw how well the wind had styled my hair.

New moon. Dressed to the right.