Falkirk

I'd been expecting to have to collect Django from his carers north of Perth today, but they've so enjoyed looking after him that they will keep him until Wednesday when they come into Edinburgh to an event attended by A. Hence I had a free day. The weather was awfully wet in the morning, so I stayed in and worked but, after lunch, then I set off for Falkirk. 

Having parked at Callander House, I walked its pretty autumnal woodlands, before heading up onto Falkirk Muir for another monument (Turf) zone, being the site of the penultimate battle on British soil. I then dropped down to the Union Canal, which I followed to the tunnel that emerges at the top end of the Falkirk Wheel. Although familiar, and something I've been up and down on in a boat, it never ceases to impress. A boat was waiting for it to turn, which would have made a better photo, but I had to crack on because I had to get back before the car park closed. The return walk was along the Forth and Clyde Canal, as it dropped into the town. 

I got back to the car, just as the rain came on, and drove the short distance to the house of a guy (P) that I hung out with quite a bit in the mid/late 90's, but whom I've seen little of in the past ten years. He's not worked since he used redundancy money to buy his house about 15 years ago, and now lives a frugal and rather isolated life with his two dogs. He's so out of touch that it was news to him that our club-mate Ed Catmuir - whom P knew well - had died hill running in January.

The dogs are rather lively and ill-trained (see extra) so it was impossible to chat when I arrived. Hence we took them out for a long walk in the Callander House woodlands. On our return, he fed them and was scratching around for anything to offer me to eat, so I suggested - as I'd thought of doing anyway - that I'd stand him a meal out. We went to a Nepalese restaurant in the town centre, where it was obvious (unsurprisingly) that he's not eaten out in a very long time! I guided him through ordering, and we both enjoyed the food as we caught up more over recent (and not so recent) events in our lives.