Saturday Big Sky Day!... And Sunday too!

Saturday was without doubt the first proper summers day of 2013 here on the East Coast of Scotland...
Up at the loo at 4am and peeked out behind the curtains to as forecast a clear sky, and a big full moon setting!, i got dressed and went out for a walk with a cup of tea and the camera...

Moon setting at 4.30am..

Then at 5am...

Already warm , gonna be a cracking day!...

I was out on the SURLY Pugsley at 7am and road to Drem under a big blue sky...

I do not like to cycle the main road through Drem as folk drive like loonies, though at this time on a Saturday it is only the odd person going to work and Golfers heading to the coast, so took to the field boundaries ...

The ground is bone dry on the surface but still saturated below...

Former RAF Drem Airfield...

Sheep at the remaining dispersal pen... waiting to be scrambled!...

Along Drem ride...

-:)

East Lothian is indeed the small county with a big sky...

Down to the coast...

Across the Peffer burn on the Footbridge to Enchantment...

0.7 meter low tide at 8.20am

I had half an hour and had planned to meet friend Gary Buckham at the sub wrecks then ride by road and trails to North Berwick to meet Gavin around 10.30am who was getting new tyres on his fatbike...

With Nate tyres on the Pugsley - which will be swapped out later this evening to the standard Larry tyres for summer i can today at least ride across the greasy mud flats directly across the Bay to the Peffer burn estuary,  smooth pedal strokes allow grip on the slimy surface without causing unnecessary damage out here...

It is approx 2 miles across the bay from the bridge to the Peffer Estuary riding W to NW.  It is approx 1 mile  N/ NE to the sub wrecks where i am pointing. Gary would be riding out there now as i saw his car parked up the road as i cycled in...

About half way across, opposite Kilspindie above the Peffer, looking back...

Left (south) to Kilspindie, the Golf Courses, and Craigielaw where i grew up...

Pentland Hills and Edinburgh`s Arthur Seat on the horizon...love it out here as unless your a runner or have a fatbike you would be lucky to get out here and loop back to the subs in time before the tide comes in...

Lots of stuff to see out here on the ground as well as bird life - today mostly Eiders and Shell ducks, some old broke pottery...

Rubbish can become little Eco homes for marine life, like this road cone...

And lots of tyres are out here, covered in barnacles, full of old razor shells here...

And this old wheelie bin...

Creels...

Sand is soft on the sand bank here, could do with the SURLY Moonlander for this bit, but it soon firms up once over the bar..

Following the Peffer to the sea...

Been a long time since i have been out here at such low water, shallow enough to cycle through with dry feet. It all depends on how the sand has shifted...

Using the zoom i could see Gary at the subs over a mile and a half away...

Cycled through the Peffer to get the picture...

Then rode east to meet Gary at the sub wrecks...

Seals in the morning sun, you never get that close before they make a dash for the sea...

Lot of Sea Potato's washed in today...

As i rode along the Seals followed watching me...  were they Selkies? old  Scottish Folklore

Onto a firm smooth sand bar. Gary had still not seen me!, and he was now west of the subs at the boat wrecks...

The subs in the distance...

Larry tracks!... a Pugsley on patrol...

Amazing big blue sky, and the light on the wet sand as i rode past the subs which were a good 1/4 mile from the tide line today...

View behind...

And a head was Gary, looking at his tracks and footprints he was filming...still not seen me!...

Fantastic old wreck...

Gary was at the bigger of three wrecks here and he turned round just as i rode up to within talking distance...BOO! -:)

Good to be out here with someone else who has a love of the Bay and exploring it by bike. How it is always changing as the sands move  and cover or reveal stuff, and the different nature to be see through the seasons...

Gary's bike kitted out for his day on the coast. Gary was just doing a short ride so after a good blether i left Gary to enjoy his Kit Kats and Coffee and headed to North Berwick to meet Gavin.
I had said 10.30am to Gavin and it was now 10.10am! so got the foot down...

I took a short cut over Gullane Hill. Working here for 10 years as a Green keeper from leaving school i know every track on this hill like the back of my hand. The same bumps and hollows are still there...

The road over the hill was tarred just before i left, what a rumble from the SURLY Nate tyres!...

Cycling over here a lot of good memories came back from the early days of working here.
Pride working on such a prestigious Golf Course, an Open Championship Qualifying course...
The amazing views over the Forth to Fife, across to Edinburgh, the Lammermuirs and of course Aberlady Bay below...

The stories of the old boys i worked with, who had went off to war and returned, along with many of the old members too, all proper gentlemen who Behind the accents were good people who spoke to you by first names and there was a mutual respect... Happy days...
Their is a saying about old money and new money...

Things change in work places as do the people you work for...
Happier to be where i am now working for nice people and with nice members too, and where it is going, into a new era of my industry...


Still a great view here -:) ...

Gullane Main street will not be as quiet as this come July and the Open Championship at Muirfield...

Through Archiefield...

A Dogs, Kids Family Fete day on Dirleton green. I have none of them this now,  keep peddling...

Pedal pedal pedal... under that big blue sky...

Nearly there...

-:) ...

Gavin was just getting his bike ready when i arrived at Dave's shop. That another fiver for advertising you owe me Dave... -:)

Off to the beach...

Shorts and T shirt cycling on the coast... summer has arrived!...

It was warm at 18 Celsius, and to be honest we were not that bothered about getting in the miles and sat on rocks at The Sow, and soaked up the views across to Fidra and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on our backs...

Gavin always bring loads of food on a beach ride... cheers for the oatmeal cookies Gav!...

A cruise back along the coast, the beach was hoaching (Scots for busy!) with folk out enjoying the day...

More Eiders...

Does not get much better than this...

Brilliant!...

Gavin washed his bike  before heading home...

Time for me to ride home, been a long day...

Amazing how lifting some good weather is, everyone i spoke to today said this has been long over due...

A classic blog post day out, been a while since had a good weather beach ride to write up, rolling home with a tail wind i have been getting the miles clocked up in the last couple of weeks...

I put all todays pics onto a slideshow film and published it on youtube...
what song to use?
Quite easy as i could see for miles and miles today...
Song by The Who...




Sunday sunshine...

Saturday evening i had the chiminea roaring... -:)

Sunday dawned again with clear skies... i rode to North Berwick to visit dad then headed to the coast on the SURLY Pugsley again...

`Keep Calm and Carry On` ... -:)

An old diesel train was pulling out of North Berwick, any train buffs know what it was doing here?...

Dad was in good fettle an we were talking about stuff to be seen on the coast this now and i gave him my post coast ride briefing...

Down to the coast...

Along beside the West Links...

And onto the John Muir Way...

Familiar pic on here, just changes with the seasons...

Over the links at Yellowcraig...

And along the top of the banking above the coast to Marine Villa...

Picture Postcard stuff here...

Onto Marine Villa rocks and swapping the Pugsley tyres last night from the chunky go anywhere Nates to the old pair of SURLY Larry tyres made the bike better on the road to North Berwick and on the rocks exposed by the low tide...

Gary Buckham said someone has built some stuff at the caves here and i went to take a look...

-:) cool, i love beach art and this is ace!...

Riding west...

Big Sky...

Oyster Catchers...

Cormorant...

coastkid...

Freshwaterhaven - deserted and very quiet for a Sunday mid day...

Jamies Neuk, The ruin of a shepherds house of that name...

Gullane beach was surprisingly quiet... was i in a Matrix?. Been a weird weekend what with getting up real early and no cider... maybe everyone else is skint  too, it being the last weekend of a 5 week month?... cycling is free, just need to peddle...

I had to take a double look...

Can you see him?, zoomed the camera in a bit...

More zoom... -:)

What an amazing sky today...

Into Gullane village and i was deft going to afford to buy an ice cream from Trish at Cools Ices...

Yum...

Amazing ice cream and is a perfect quencher when been cycling on the coast in the salt air...

The view of Gullane visitors would have seen as they arrived by trail from when it opened in 1898 until 1932 when it just became frieght. The rail closure by Beeching was in in 1964...

Some of the railway base remains and can be cycled along...

Saltcoats...

At the squint bridge...

Back onto Drem ride as i came from Drem yesterday...

What a hedged road would look like if never cut... this is north of Drem Village and only a 1/4 mile in lenght...

Clouding over but still big skies...

Nearly home and that is a wrap... see you next time...