Blethering Blonde

I've been spending a lot of time in Ayrshire post op as it means I can get out and about with Steve being my taxi - thank you ;-) Irvine and The Three Towns , Ardrossan , Saltcoats and Stevenston, aren't really known for their picturesque coastlines. Ardrossan is better known as the ferry port to Arran . Saltcoats was a bustling seaside resort from the 50's to mid 70's which just doesn't stand a chance in competing with what we look for now. Stevenston was once dynamite town but that's all  but gone. There are still treasures to be found. We took Craig to Irvine Beach Park this weekend. It was a wasteland until 35 years ago when it was redeveloped to save the dunes from erosion and for local recreational use. Steve hadn't been here for years and Craig had never been so it was a "Dora the Explorer" outing as Craig described it ;-) Heading first to the wee loch gave the opportunity fotr Craig to check out the skate park before we were bird spott

A survey from Trek on my views about "women's specific" things initially had my hackles up but I decided the only way things might change is to complete the survey. I've had a bee in my bonnet about the whole women's specific issue for a good while now though mostly about the tokenism attached to it. However it does have a few strands. To begin with I know I am far from what could be considered as standard sized for a female but its a bit much when every female you know has a gripe about the fit of outdoor gear. With the press now reporting that the average size is 14 in the UK now, it's somewhat disconcerting that this equates to a size large for most manufacturers and that's before you take into consideration the cut of the gear.  More annoyingly, is when you do find a manufacturer who's cut fits your sizing and you like their kit, you buy it and when it wears out you go back to get a replacement to find they have totally changed their cut. Aaaaaar

Thought I'd share the rest of the Knoydart photies

I've never been a very good patient (typical nurse) but had been quite proud of the fact that I had remained calm and followed the plan for the longer than initially anticipated recovery from them poking about with my knee, that is until now. Once I had got over the shock of being severely limited with all activities for 3 months, I figured that once that time was up I should be back on the hills a couple of months later. Best laid plans and all that........................ I saw the Consultant a couple of weeks before the end of the 3 month minimal load bearing D-date who gave the go ahead for  physio and for starting  some low impact stuff like an exercise bike and slowly to increase my walking. I was so excited. The physio and I had a long chat at that first assessment where I did admit to her I had a tendency to try and run before I could walk - if only!! It looked like my range of movement was still OK but what I needed to start working on was some muscle strengthening and st

I knew before we left that we were likely to have a good time on Knoydart. I think I was slightly anxious about how some of the others who'd never been before were going to find it. I needn't have worried - they loved it.   It's not the easiest place to get to but access now is much improved to my first visit back in 2001. We'd organised a boat charter with Knoydart Seabridge to get us over and what a laugh that was due to the slightly rough sea conditions but we made it over safe and sound though Jamie did get a wee bit wet from sitting out.  Ian from Knoydart House was waiting for us when we docked at Inverie and the gang soon got the hang of how to unload a boat Knoydart style into the waiting trailer. It was hilarious when we got to the house. Poor Ian was trying to fill us in on the salient points on how things work but everyone was giddy at the luxury that we had walked into. Maria was like Tigger bouncing about the place. Steve and I had last seen the place

Inverie Bay Words and lots more pictures to follow

We're off to Knoydart on Friday, weather permitting!! This place has had a magical pull on me since I first discovered it back in 2001. That first trip was a wilderness taster to get me ready for a tramping trip to New Zealand. I really was a novice back then and I had the huge backpack to prove it. Carrying it from Inverie over to Barrisdale Bothy was not the most enjoyable experience I had had in the hills.Neither were the ferocious midges or the 10hr beasting on Ladhar Bheinn. It didn't detract from the fact that the place had grabbed me and I knew it wouldn't be my only visit. It was five years before I had the chance to go back, this time it was an "organised "affair staying at the Foundation Bunkhouse . There were 24 of us from the club all with varied plans of what we wanted to do but the weather wasn't playing ball at all. It was typical west of Scotland stair rod rain that kept coming for 3 whole days. It was a May Bank Holiday so we weren't the