Spring has sprung?

Today was a gloriously sunny spring-like day, so when Linda and I met for lunch we decided to drive out into the country.  We thought of visiting the cafe overlooking the Loch 0’ the Lowes, next to St Mary’s Loch, but when we got there it was closed – opens next weekend.  Oh well!  Moffat wasn’t so far away.  We’d continue along the road by the loch- still frozen over - and through the valley beyond; down the gorge past the Grey Mare’s Tail waterfall, quite full after the snows, and eventually into the town of Moffat – where some of my ancestors came from, in fact.  Some of them lie in the old churchyard.

There’s a cafe at the top of the town, almost opposite the  famous Moffat ram statue, where we decided to eat.  It was well worth it and at very reasonable prices too.

I’ve  told you before about the ram statue.  If you’ve been with me long enough you’ll maybe remember that the ram, although he has wonderful horns, has no ears.  The designer of the ram took such flak for the omission that he finally committed suicide!

After lunch we took a wander round the town, looking in shop windows, and just enjoying being out in the sunshine.  The second-hand bookshop was closed, but there was an emporium of antique and second-hand goods to be wandered round.  I am looking for a globe for an antique oil lamp that belonged to Colin’s mother and possibly grandparents, so I had my eyes peeled!  There were actually a few globes, but not as beautiful as the globe I had inadvertently broken.  I did think of haggling on the price of one.  However, even if I was to get his best price I didn’t think the particular globe was worth it so I left it on the shelf,  hoping to be able some day to find a globe more like the one I lost!

In Old Well Road there is an “ancestral home”, though which one is unclear.  The rest of the family lived in Eastgate, nearer the top of the town. 

This is the street leading to the old spa well.

Back to the main street which was at one time a huge rectangular market place.  Now there are trees and car- parking  in the middle, dividing the wide area into two parallel roads. This picture is looking down to the bottom of the town towards the road we had come down from Peebles while this next one is looking towards the top of the town and the road that winds uphill round the “Devil’s Beef tub”, and on towards Edinburgh. That was the way we returned, cutting off the main road eventually to get back to Peebles.

The sun was low by the time we were nearing home, and the long shadows, and light on the hills against a background of dark looming skies, made the landscape look rather fantastic.

The photos just don’t do it justice!

So hoping for another beautiful day tomorrow.  I have work to do at home, but if it’s another exceptional day then who knows what I might think of doing!

Talk again soon.