Sleeping On The Job

It rained. And rained. Pouring down. We'd already decided to travel to Dumfries to see Mike, who had been a staunch member of my T189 cohort on the October 2010 intake at the OU. 

Jackson again recommended the scenic route through Galloway. Having seen the traffic on the main road, I was glad that he did. Apart from the fantastic scenery, we met very few cars either coming or going. No matter which way we went, I still think it would have taken two hours.

Marvellous to meet and chat to Mike. We started off at the Coach and Horse Inn on Whitesands and then found a cosy parlour on the street behind for a spot of lunch. No problem with having Basil under the table.

Mike showed us The Caul and the Devorgilla Bridge. A cormorant was standing on top of the weir waiting for fish. The trout were jumping in the pool behind him.

En route back to Ayr, we came across the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory at Loch Doon. We didn't actually get to the observatory (besides, it wasn't dark yet), but did find The Roundhouse, a cafe where a live video feed was displaying a mother and chick osprey on a TV. Marvellous to see. The birds were around 500m away across the end of the loch. There had been three chicks originally but the two eldest had been picked off by buzzards.

Back in Ayr, and eager to get some supper at The Savoy, we parked in Wellington Square. The Scottish Conservatives have a basement office at the corner of the square and Fort Street. Goodness me, one of their employees  was lying across his desk, fast asleep, as you can see. He wasn't there when we returned..