Country walk

When the sun does appear at this time of year it's low on the horizon. Perhaps it was the angle of the light, but more likely it was our mild autumn that has given the grass such a vivid and surprising emerald hue.
I love the combination of shafts of winter sun and dark clouds. It's this midwinter contrast that means that even if I did have the money to 'escape' the Scottish winter, I wouldn't do it. Why miss this counterpoint to the long days of summer? Admittedly not particularly sunny or warm days this year, but there is a lot to savour in these opposites.
Our village castle (more accurately its remaining wall) appears spotlit. Thankfully it's not lit up artifically and expensively, not to mention wastefully and dark sky spoilingly at night.

Because of the natural spotlighting, I noticed for the first time the clear outline of a window arch. I can't believe that I played around this castle all through my childhood and have only just noticed this. Perhaps a lump of stone has fallen off recently and given the arch a sharper profile. Perhaps I was always too intent on sledging or Easter egg rolling or hide and seek.

And then, in a field above the village, a large trampoline. A casualty of the recent gales. It must have been quite a sight when airborne.

Thanks to YouTube, you just have to say 'trampoline' in Scotland just now for everyone to know what you're referring to.

Las Trampas Waterfall

A rushing waterfall in Las Trampas Regional Park the day of a heavy rainstorm.

Sage Advice

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.“
---Mark Twain

Moss Maiden

Stop trying to look up her dress!
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There is really not a lot of information online about Moss people.

Romantic Meal À DEUX!

R-O-M-A-N-C-E A word that means many things to many people. For some romance is showing up with a bouquet of flowers and a little box with a month’s salary in it, while for others it means going for a bike ride and enjoying a picnic lunch. Regardless of your interpretation, romance is still the single most important thing in a relationship and the surest way to declare your love for someone.
So what better way to reclaim romance than with a romantic meal à deux? Whether you’re looking for the cinematic allure of dining along the Seine or the serenity of an oceanfront dinner under the stars, a romantic meal isone of the best ways to show that special person just ‘how much’ you love them.

Here are some of enchantinglyromanticplaces todine.

Bon Appétit Mon Amour!

Roof-top dining at the Palazzo Manfredi - Rome, Italy

Outdoor dining at the Mahua Kothi -Bandhavgarh National Park, India

Rooftop dining at La Sultana -Marrakech, Morocco

Outdoor dining at Hacienda San Jose -Tixkokob, Mexico

Verandah dinner at Singita Grumeti Reserves, Sasakwa Lodge -Serengeti, Tanzania

Picnic on the beach at Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa - Maldives

Private beach dining at Banyan Tree Bintan - Bintan, Indonesia

A Little Food for Much Thought

To become all that we are meant to be, we must learn to become a little less than we demand to be. Joan Chittister from The Liturgical Year.

Some understanding might be found in the Gospel of St. John 12:24: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

Discussion now open.

First Singletrack, Snow, Night Ride

Previously, I have been riding singletrack at Manawa; I have ridden there in the snow; and I have ridden there at night (with handlebar light). Tonight's Thursday Night Ride, for the first time I was able combine all in one ride.
Needed to get out and ride today. Meeting up for the TNR to pick up a Trail Group display board was just the excuse (as if I need an excuse to ride) I needed. I was there early to get in a warm-up ride before dark.
Some nine of us rode. They are all much faster and better riders then me, but I had a good ride. Made a full lap after dark. Stopped several times to take photos (yes, that is the same tree that I parked my bike at for the previous photo).
Trail condition was snow covered ice, with spots of grease. My hardtail with studded tires performed great.

After 11+ miles and just short of 2 hours, I ended up with a slight headache. That's probably from the concentration needed to ride in the woods, in the snow, at night. For me, every new accomplishment makes me stronger.