Taking it slowly (Days 221 - 231)

Day 221 - Traffic jam, Arran style.

With a busy few weeks ahead, everything is in the diary and if it's not in the diary it's not happening! The 365 project photo's will definitely be on the 'hoof' and I'll have to take opportunities as they arise, a mini traffic jam on the Machrie Moor Road was snapped through my window.

Day 222 - Another small sculpture

This is another small sculpture that I have brought back from my travels.  She has such a sad face but is a beautiful object to photograph.  I think this could be a wet day challenge for some of my students??

Day 223 - Beach at Machrie

My diary may be full but its not all work and today its a 'girls' lunch out with a fellow teacher. We vary our venues and today it was the Machrie Bay Tearoom for soup and a sandwich.

Day 224 - Blustery morning

The view across to Kintyre had all but vanished this morning as the squally weather blew in.  It was really cold and felt more like October than August. But it significantly brightened up in the afternoon.

Day 225 - Lochranza Castle

All change for a sunny day again, with full day workshops for a mixed ability group. We incorporated a full island tour including the totally un-photogenic Lochranza Castle.

Day 226 - Second traffic jam of the week

Yesterday I fell over (well actually was tripped by the dogs - see later note), and broke my mobile.  So I thought I would do a quick trip into Irvine (I was on the mainland) and get a new one.  On pulling up at the traffic lights to turn right the police stopped me and I ended up with a front seat to the Irvine parade.  This must be one of the biggest in the country - it took ages.  There were so many horses and people but with such a good seat I really couldn't complain.

Day 227 - Blackpool from a distance

A walk on the beach at Cleveleys to exercise the dogs was a very different experience to the same thing on Arran.  The beach actually had a lot of fishermen along the shore and there were lots of people!

Day 228 - Back on the beach

Same beach the following day, but the sea is a little choppier and the promenade has markers for the Fleetwood marathon.  And coincidentally one of the Run Arran girls is taking part in the half marathon!

Day 229 - Homeward bound

There is nothing quite like getting on the ferry to come home after a mainland trip, car bulging with the 'big' food shop and petrol tank full of fuel!

Day 230 - Chilly mornings

Sorely tempted to put the heating on this morning after an early start.  My bathroom was positively baltic, not helped by the fact I had left the window open.

Day 231 - In training

Running a single dog in Cani-cross is hard enough, but two is total madness!  I'm a novice and my dogs are too which doesn't help.  I get many comments, such as, 'it must be good for them to pull you up hills', 'do they go fast', 'that's cheating', most revolve around the strange belief that the dogs pull me up and make the running easier.  The truth is they sometimes run behind me (and I pull them), stop to sniff (more pulling from me), go in the wrong directions (a bit more encouraging pulling from me), go either side of trees, and a few days ago they went behind me and came either side, scooping me off my feet into a crumpled heap, then jumping on me as it was clearly a new game. So we walk a bit, run a bit, untangle a bit and come October we will be racing a bit!