Back to my roots

I have been away for a little while, hence the silence. I wanted to visit a friend, Mary, in Glasgow, because we said last year that we would go on holiday together, so we wanted to make some plans. More of that later. I also needed to see my Dad. He has really not been well and I wanted to check on the progress of his house clearance and get quotes for a boiler replacement. So off I went to Mary's on the Thursday and then made the journey across to the east of the country to do my Dad stuff on the Friday.

My Dad is in a lovely care home but they can't slow the progress of his Alzheimer's. I found him with head bowed, half asleep. He didn't know me. All he would do, apart from doze, was roll his eyes up and make loud groaning noises. It was awful and very distressing. I showed him my local paper with pictures of flood damage - we were headline national  news, you know! Well the town was. I was totally oblivious in my little home some 13 miles away. I just thought it would save me having to keep trying to think of things to say. He seemed to be able to see them.

Between care home visits I went down to Fisherrow where we used to go in the bus with our Mum for beach days in the summer holidays. It was all a bit 'improved' and there was a car park and a new pub where there used to be just nothing. It was more quiet and oldie-worldie then. I remember when I was about 7 watching a little boy walk out of one of the houses opposite the beach, step onto the sand and just potter around for hours. I was so envious of him. living right at the seaside.

There is a new coastal walk so I ambled along and saw some oystercatchers preening themselves. Since my long absence from Blogland last year I have forgotten all about Fauna Friday. Count this as it.

Great views across to the Lomonds of Fife. (You can just make out the two low hills under a storm cloud.)

Looking inland there was the edge of Edinburgh under Arthur's Seat (top pic).

Back at Mary's we did a fantastic walk on the Sunday at Greenock Cut. We were chasing the light so I didn't stop for photos but the views were many times more spectacular than this. A panorama of mountain, sea and snow. This was only the very start of the views.We'll go again some day and I'll put up much better ones then.

Our forthcoming holiday? A coast to coast walk across Corsica. Mare a Mare Nord.  We go on 18th May for 2 weeks. We both need to start getting fit now!