Turf zone – WayOfAndrew
Good afternoon, or whatever it might be when you are reading this, in your own realm. Now, I bet you are just gagging to know how I faired with my attempts to remedy some very squeaky brakes on the Surly Ogre. So, after stripping and cleaning and all that palaver, the answer is, wait for it, not a lot. Better but not perfect. Guess it will have to do for now. I suspect new pads and rotors would do the job but I’m not changing parts for minor squeaks. Onwards.
Out last night for a combined wildlife walk and turfing session. I’d left a couple of zones, MelvilleGolf and BroomieGolf, at red just for this occasion and around 8:30 pm set off on foot to wander around Broomieknowe and Melville golf courses. Not much in the way of wildlife at Broomieknowe though some good view of bats on the railway path. My new Ledlenser MT14 torch making it easy to light them up from a distance. Though actually following them with the torch beam is not easy task. My goodness these bats move fast.
Melville golf course was better. First a badger at the putting area, followed with three roe deer on the course itself. And while walking around the course came across a small dark object sitting on the fairway. I initially thought it might be a golf club head cover, dropped by a golfer during the day. I didn’t have the torch on at the time, no need as reflected light from low cloud was good enough, but moving towards the object, and even before I switched the torch on, it suddenly shot between my legs. Gave me quite a surprise I can tell you. Lighting it up revealed the identity of this mysterious object, a black-coloured baby rabbit. It shot away into the bushes. It looks ever so cute and cuddly.
Today, I was again out doing my share of turf-stuff for Team Scotland, taking uniques in Gorebridge and taking zones in Newtongrange. Found a new short cut in Gorebridge. If approaching from Newtongrange on the A7, there’s a wee path just after the traffic lights at the Shell garage. It starts where the stone wall topped with a timber fence ends. Nice easy route to zone LochArniston, saves quite a bit of effort. Another discovery is that just about any patch of woodland in a housing estate will be riddled with paths and short cuts, so worth checking out.
Gorebridge is a tough place to turf in a bicycle, being built on the side of a hill and there’s just no way to avoid plenty of hill climbing. But all good exercise. Added another 42 takes so pleased with the day’s efforts. Back tomorrow.
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