Tales of the Waterbank...

....I waved cherio to Nancy as she headed off to the smoke for her twice weekly visit to the office ,and then turned to yet more updates and admin for Aunty K. The GPs are trying a different pain relief regime and have asked for a support package to suit. Fingers crossed it gives her some relief and it happens soon. 

Whilst working at the laptop, another collared dove flew into the main window. The first was yesterday and I'm not sure why they've started to to do this, perhaps because of the low sun??  It flew off unharmed, like yesterday, but left an interesting bird grease splat on the window to match the other. I'll need to wash the window sooner than planned as bird grease is a bugger to get off. 

After a few domestic tasks including the creation of a cottage pie, I headed out for a cycle, making west to Cavers Carre. I was intrigued by the name last time I cycled past but can find very little about it online. The actual house bearing the name, whilst pretty muckle, is only mid-sized by local standards, but enjoys a great view south to the Minto Hills and Rubers Law. There's a well maintained and very old wall around the property so there's been wealth there at some point. One website suggests that Carre is an old spelling for Kerr and Cavers is an enclosure or square in old-English, so it might simply represent an archaic way of saying this is Kerr's bit. Anyway, one resident was Vice Admiral Robert Riddell Carre who fought with Nelson at Copenhagen and Algiers. A noted disciplinarian, aka a total bastard!

Salter's Ford sits at the foot of the hill from Cavers Carre and it permits passage across the Ale Water, a tributary of the River Teviot. The track at the other side was pretty rough but just about passable on my gravel bike. 

After ascending a few big lumps, I wheeled down to Ancrum via Chesters, giving way to a rider and two horses en route. At the excellent Ancrum Pantry, I sat outside drinking a coffee and chatting to Gordon. I've met him before here, an 80 year old cyclist from Hawick. He rides an electric road bike and has inspired me to have one too, not yet, but I’ll know when the time comes.