At the Dhoon.

An overcast morning. I didn't hurry.  Stopped at a little lay by that has always had a car in it when I've been this way before and photographed Kirkcudbright with the sun breaking through.   Carried on to the Dhoon. It's a big grassy car park with loos giving access to  Nun Mill Bay.  At low tide large areas of sand and some patches of mud are exposed and it's possible to see the wreck of the “Monreith”, a two mast wooden schooner which was wrecked here in 1900. The crew managed to reach the shore and there were no casualties.   I've been out to the wreck many times in the past and I see there is now a notice warning of quicksand.  Pottered around taking endless photos for ages then went to meet Veda at Cream of Galloway.  Home made soup with home made bread and then enormous ice cream sundaes.  Veda had trouble finishing hers but I am an ice cream fanatic so had no trouble at all. Afterwards I went back to Kirkcudbright and bought postcards for friends and a nice little rainbow glass hanging as a memento for me.  Went round to the Tolbooth to photograph the tower and a couple of the closes.  I once stayed in one of them on holiday. I remember photographing a lot of the doors round about.  They are rather beautiful and quite varied.   Finally drove off and things took a bit of a nose dive.  Dundrennan  Abbey was closed which seemed rather excessive as it is a ruin and is viewed in the open air with plenty of space for social distancing.  Further along there is the site of the Wickerman music festival where there usually a giant wicker figure.  Not today. The road out to Balcary Hotel which I love was disappointing as the stake nets had been dismantled and the sun was gone.  I thought I could perhaps walk to Balcary Point  but I had to turn back. My knee was getting grumpy.  Arrived at my car just as two mobile homes came into the car park.  There has been an explosion of them since the pandemic.  They manoeuvred themselves into spaces with some difficulty, then, as I was about to go, a third one appeared with a bike on the back and towing a car.  They had driven all the way up a single track road with passing places to a small car park with no room for them.  I went over to chat while the bloke uncoupled the car.  His wife was going to drive it back down the road which would allow the mobile home to turn in the restricted space.  I was surprised at how neatly it was done and off they went with me following.  Veda had been going to come along here and had changed her mind which I felt glad about.  However, on the way back to base I stopped at a viewpoint and photographed  wind turbines across the Solway so all was not lost.