Lethargy and other musings

Some days I’m just content to do very little. Reading, messing around on my iPad or computer or just day dreaming. This morning has been one of those times.
In my early mountaineering days (now over half a century away) we called it festering. Sitting in or out of the tent or bothy, chatting, reading or just absorbing things around us. Sometimes because of the snow, winds or rain, sometimes just too knackered to be bothered.

It’s nowadays a time to contemplate. Think over things that have been, cook up plans for the future that may or may not happen or just meander through my mind, hopefully the better bits of it!

It’s also sometimes good to look over the huge amount of photographs I’ve accumulated, some scanned in, others taken digitally. It’s always good for a giggle or a memory or a touch of sadness.

This afternoon I’ll be busy again. Our community cinema is on so I’ve been tweeting it and will go down to help set up in a wee while.

So where has it all got me? No idea, except for this blog!!

But here’s a few of my memories to invade your life with.
   
Yesterday, cycling below the snowline 

 

The sheep say hi, lined up for my inspection 
  
Near the top of the road

   
Started young! No beard either.

Only 16, just before the beard growth 

    
Winter mountaineering in the Cairngorms- 1970s

 
Soloing Mont Blanc

   
Blasting in blo-karts

  Festering in the French Alps

  
Trapezing on the Forth

 
Dame Rosy Glow – aren’t pantomimes wonderful (oh yes they are, oh no they’re not etc)

   
A wee rescue on the River Tay

 

In the Falls at the Linn of Tummel

   

Telemarking, Glenshee

 

Swiss Alps, Lagginhorn I think

   

Rescue duty, the chimneys were blown up last year

 Local winter cycling 
   

Climbing in Yosemite, a small route, only 600 feet high

  Festering in my bivvied bag on the glacier 

More adventures to come I hope, and lethargy!

The Challenge Day 5: Adventures

Rachel (RachelSquirrel) has challenged me, not a cycling challenge as such but a photograph and writing one.

The rules of the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge are:

1) Post a photo each day for five consecutive days.
2) Attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or a short paragraph. It’s entirely up to the individual.
3) Nominate another blogger to carry on the challenge. Your nominee is free to accept or decline the invitation. This is fun, not a command performance!

The beach at Tyninghame

I don’t usually put stuff on about our family but I had not realised when I took on this challenge that the last day coincided with the 3rd year since my stepson’s death. I knew him since he was young and he was a son to me. Before he died he made me promise that I would always have ‘adventures’ with his daughter. The photo is of the beach where we scattered his ashes, taken this morning.

She comes over from South Africa soon, so what have I got planned for her? My granddaughter is an adventurous soul, though still young. The list includes a choice cycling (of course), rock climbing, body boarding, canoeing, skiing or sledging at the snow dome, gorge walking, coasteering, exploring caves etc. etc. plus general galavanting. I don’t see her often and she brings so much joy. I’m sure we’ll all have a fabulous time together.

I am going to nominate Chyrel from Ride All the Way for the challenge as she may have feared I might. She takes some interesting and unusual stories, has a fund of tales in her part of the world and is a mean cyclist.