Conditions this morning were perfect for a pre-dawn scoot on the Swifty Air. The forecast was fair with only a 10% chance of rain. Temperature was around 10-degree C., nice and cool for an energetic scoot, not too hot and not too cold. The time was also ideal, 3.00 o’clock in the morning, otherwise referred to as silly o’clock. My destination was Broomieknowe golf course on the other side of town as the early hour would mean no golfers or dog walkers and there would hopefully be plenty of wildlife to see as well.
Fetching the Swifty from the shed I was conscious of how quiet things are this early the morning. My fumbling with the shed locks seemed overly loud and I tried my best to keep the noise down, least I wake people up. Even at 3.00 am and with sunrise still 90 minutes away at 4.30 am, it was getting light, a glow appearing across the sky to the East. This would mean my lights would probably not be required, however, I kept them mounted anyway, just in case. The course was only 10 minutes from the house, following footpaths, cycle ways and deserted streets. I only saw one person in the distance. You would think that this time on a Sunday morning the place would be deserted but there is usually someone about. It’s easy to forget that some people work the nights.
I slipped onto the course at the secondary car park, scooting under some trees and onto the fairway. Here I rested the Swifty against a tree and removed my sandals, stowing them in the front rack bag. This was one of the main reasons why I like scooting on golf courses, they are perfect for scooting barefoot. I would follow the perimeter of the course, always avoiding the greens and bunkers to avoid causing any damage.
The course was quite dry underfoot which made for easy scooting, at least on the flat, and a joy on the downhill sections, though uphill was often a matter of getting off and walking. I spend around 30 minutes on the course, not seeing a single soul other than a few deer feeding on the rough grass and a few black-headed gulls roosting in the middle of the fairway. A few rabbits hopped away as I approached, often at the last-minute.
Finally leaving the course at the same location I started, I slipped my sandals back on – tarmac is too harsh on the feet for barefoot scooting – and made my way back home. It was getting lighter now, though the sun was still not visible above the horizon. Sunrise still being another 30 minutes away and thick cloud cover in the east would obscure the view anyway. The streets were still fairly deserted, though I did encounter three young girls playing on the swings at a small play area. They asked if I’d seen a boy and a girl. I wondered what they were up to and if their parents knew they were out at this time of the morning.
Back at base and with the Swifty Air safely back in the shed, it was time for a cup of tea and some peanut butter toast, then on to the computer to write everything down while it was still fresh in my mind. Scooting at this time in the morning is a joy and well worth the effort of dragging yourself out of bed. Go on, give it a try.
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