Turf Blog 02-01-23

Turf Zone – Medway

Temperatures were hovering around freezing today, yet at times in the sunshine I’m roasting hot. It’s one of those days where getting the ideal amount of clothing is a challenge. One minute Jack Frost nipping at the finger tips, a minute later Scorchio and sweat dripping off the nose. Another minute later, freezing cold again as I freewheel the kick scooter downhill from zone Medway (above). Don’t be misled by the nice clear blue skies. It was mostly freezing bloody cold.

I’m out on the Swifty Air kick scooter again today, keeping to my self-imposed rules of kick scooter transport only and taking zones only the once. Bonnyrigg was yesterday, today it’s Eskbank and Dalkeith. Tomorrow, Gorebridge or Newtongrange, perhaps. A good haul today with 31 zones taken, a few of them still neutrals with a welcome 50 additional bonus points each.

Turfing conditions were challenging at times today, with frosty patches still lingering in the shady areas where the sun does not shine. Add to this invisible black ice, frozen puddles and rainwater run-off along with slippery wet leaves, all making for some interesting kick scooting. Thankfully, no serious mishaps, mostly due to being extremely careful and slow most of the time. Just one interesting incident which had me completing a full 180-degree Bootlegger’s turn, ending up with me facing in the opposite direction while still holding some forward momentum. Cannot quite get my head around the physics of this one?

Met some family members near zone Eskbank, by the railway station. Brother-in-law Iain, sister-in-law Andrea, nephew Graeme, niece Chloe and her boyfriend Kieran, all out for a walk before lunch. Graeme seemed quite interested in turfing, so perhaps we will have a new turfer soon? I think Kieran was somewhat bemused by the strange retired uncle on a giant kick scooter out in freezing temperatures playing a virtual game remarkably similar to playing Pokémon.

I’ve been thinking about my idea to only use the kick scooter for turfing. Not sure it will be feasible, at least not without leaving zones untaken, or having to basically walk while pushing the kick scooter, in effect turf walking. I’m referring to areas like Dalhousie and Newbattle locally, the coastal zones around Aberlady and places like Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, all better turfed on foot or bike, at least during this time of the year when the terrain is not very suitable for kick scooting. Seems a shame to miss out on some of my favourite locations for want of a silly New Year’s resolution. Oh well, that one didn’t last very long. Still, the important thing is to keep on turfing.

And finally, while out kick scooting, I noticed the front brake starting to rub on one side. Why should this suddenly occur? It was working fine for long enough. I checked the brake blocks for debris but found nothing and the wheel itself was still running straight and true. Sorted it out back home with a screwdriver. Most be one of those strange Fortean phenomena. Back soon.

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