Well the haemoglobin count must still be rising - I climbed up Screel Hill today !
When I drew back the curtains this morning a cloudless blue sky was beckoning - the second this frosty weekend. I was going to finish insulating the underfloor of the workshop with polystyrene sheeting, while Christine was out of the way, but heck it was Sunday and sometimes you just have to let go and get off the premises. And besides Christine was pretty keen that we do something together for a change instead of leaving ‘the old hermit’ at home.
The day was completely windless as we set off from the car and headed up the forestry track. We were no sooner round the first bend and into the sun than we had to stop and peel off our clothing down to shirt sleeves; we stayed that way until just below the summit.
The visibility was fantastic: Southerness lighthouse could be seen to the East beyond Kippford, with all the Lake District mountains as a backdrop across the Solway Firth.
To the South West the whole of the Isle of Man was spread out along the horizon, 35 miles away across the Irish Sea.
Inevitably as we got to the summit a chill breeze appeared, so we did not linger beyond a quick photo of our hero conquering the mountain. A bank of cloud was blowing up from the South and as its first vanguard started to play peek-a-boo with the sun the temperature plummeted; time to set off down for shelter and a comfortable seat with hot coffee and a sandwich.
By the time we had rested and eaten, the grey slanted streaks of a distant shower were beginning to obscure the Isle of Man and the breeze started to pick up. The pockets of sunlight danced across the green fields beyond Auchencairn and the Larch and Bracken glowed.
After 2 days of frost the pine needles were falling like snow as we descended through the wind stirred trees. As we emerged onto the forestry road once more another shower was casting a rainbow over our house, tucked away somewhere in the middle distance.
As we tucked our rucksacks onto the back seat of the car and removed our jackets the first rain drops fell on us and within 200 yards of leaving the forest gate the heavens opened. Now that’s what I call squeezing the best out of the day.
Things are beginning to look a bit more like normal at last; lets hope it continues that way.
Monthly dose of Pentamidine coming up this week, and next week they will be taking a sample of my bone marrow to see if they can get a few clues as to what is going on on the inside. Should be interesting but I will not find out until after christmas.
