I got invited again to go along and watch Syd, Archie and Rob get lessons in bridge from Dan. This week it was held at Archie's house - up the Glassel Road, so I thought I'd be adventurous and try to cycle up there - it's easier cycling than walking and my physio stressed that I needed to keep stretching my knee and cycling - albeit on a static bike - was the ideal way to do this.
It was another fine day and off I set, through the park, past the cricket pitch and up the old forest tracks - and I coped OK. In fact, I surprised myself how well I did - and I really enjoyed getting out, and getting some fresh air and exercise.
Today, I worked at home this morning whilst Jo nipped back to Dobbie's to acquire the topiary for the wedding. It now sits proudly outside our front door:
Having finished most of my work in the morning, and encouraged by my cycling experiences yesterday, with Jo off to her swimming, I decided it was time to get the bike out again this afternoon. I headed off in the same direction as yesterday, up the old railway line and on to the forest tracks. I stopped for a break near the top of the hill:
The puffed cheeks were not posed - I had misjudged the timer! I then went beyond the houses on Glassel Road and up to the Hill of Brathens track - then east back towards the main Raemoir Road, which I crossed, heading towards Hirn. I stopped in front of the new Cowshed restaurant, which looks like it's almost ready to open:
I couldn't find my old safety glasses (nor one of my cycling gloves), and almost inevitably got a fly in my eye. I just couldn't get rid of it - I even tried photographing the eye to see if I could spot it:
Lovely photo, don't you think? Oh well, carry on regardless. Eventually, I was passing Wooden Barn and I thought - ah hah! - slight detour - stop for a cup of tea at the new Buchanan's Bistro there, and pay a visit to the loos. It worked a treat - I was able to remove the offending fly from under my eyelid with the aid of the large mirrors there.
Nice place too - and I enjoyed my tea and brownie. I read the Piper and sat in a nice sofa looking west out the window - this was the view:
What you can't quite see from the above photo is the new Tesco that is being erected at an incredible pace - it's due to open next month, having just started last month:
I wandered round Woodend Barn - I enquired whether they had had any returned tickets for Ed Byrne's concert next month - they hadn't, but I put my name on the waiting list anyway. They've also got Andy White (http://www.andywhite.com/) appearing in 2 weeks' time - an intimate concert, with a meal, in the Bistro - but I then realised that's just 2 days before the wedding, so it wasn't really on.
Cycling back through Hill of Banchory, then down to the Platties to follow the river back home - a nice way to spend a couple of hours on a very pleasant afternoon. I'll sleep well tonight - if the pain in my rear end doesn't disturb me too much!
Sitting here blogging away just now whilst Jo's at her weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in, I'm thinking I might try driving again tomorrow and nip in to the office for a short while. We're going to dinner at the Lings tomorrow night - and it's early so I need to be home sharp anyway.
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