A Walk in the Park

My Vitamin D humungous pills had still not arrived - so I went to the chemist to see if they had my correct phone number. 'Yes, the pills are here. Sorry we didn't phone.' Hmmm.

And they couldn't get the whopping one-a-month ones, they seem to be in short supply, which is odd, as half the population should be on them. Anyway, I got a three month supply of pretty little blue daily ones. I quite fancied an instant hit, but will have to be patient.

I had a choice today - a free lunchtime concert in St Giles, or a free guided walk in Queen's Park. It was a nice day, and I was feeling energetic, so the walk it was. At first it was only the Ranger and a student and me. Then two Londoners joined us. We They set off at a goodly pace up the hill, me bringing up the rear, pretending to stop and take photos every few steps. Fortunately, she kept stopping to tell us things and so I could catch up/catch my breath.

Learned Heard lots of interesting facts. Saw the fossilised cracked mud and sand patterns from 240 320 million years ago a long long time ago. Patted the big 'erratic rock' deposited there by the glaciers. It has been sitting there for the last 10,000 years. Which doesn't sound like erratic behaviour to me!

There were dozens of dead toads. Apparently they come all the way up the hill to hibernate in the winter and then in spring go back down to the loch, so they're easy pickings. Seems a bit daft that they don't hibernate a bit nearer the loch...

The Ranger also had some artifacts, replicas of items found in the Park and we were to guess what they were for. She had a wee coffin, with a wee wrapped figure inside, so she told us (or the London folk, at least) about Burke and Hare. They were found in 1836 by some boys looking for rabbits' burrows. A fascinating account here, if you can be bothered. Shorter version here.

I waved them off and stayed behind to take some photos of the buttercups. This shot is in the 'unimproved grassland' - there has never been any fertiliser near it, and these areas are quite rare now.

I am home now, completely stuffed and aching legs. Maybe a week's supply of those pretty little blue pills would work wonders...

Just kidding. There's an Almond Magnum in the freezer which will work even better!