Hope they were safer than the woods I came across on my walk.

 

So, I walked up James street towards West Montrose Street. I have previously documented James Street fairly thoroughly so didn't bother to take many photographs here but I thought I'd make a note of what has been going on in the James Street Community Garden - new beds and new seating by the looks of things.



West Montrose Street has arguably some of the most impressive houses in Helesnburgh. As a teen I knew several people from school who lived in these which probably contributed to my sense of not really belonging.







Next up the gate at the bottom of the grounds of those flats I'd told you we considered at one point. You can see why I felt that maybe vodka-drinking, joint-smoking teens wouldn't really be a natural fit.





And here we are into the woods - there was something very odd going on with the light at this point and it has made the trees look like a faked backdrop on a cheap film set.



Helensburgh Cricket Club as seen through the trees. This is why I had never really bothered with going into these woods before because I just thought it was this narrow strip of land dead close to all the houses, main road, rugby and cricket clubs. I hadn't realised it stretched all the way up the hill to the upper train line.

 

Bits of the walk were quite steep



So it was nice that someone had put out the odd bench to recover on



For this first foray I stuck to the main path



But I did notice that there were lots of little trails to explore on another day



This wood apparently has full and proper 'Nature Reserve' status and is managed - so trees are felled deliberately to make glades, new trees planted etc. It was notable I felt for the lack of fir trees which I ordinarily associate with the area. Perhaps because it's a nature reserve and not the forestry commission?



These hills are on the other side of the Clyde river and every now and again you could see the silver of the water through the trees.



Last year's leaves clinging on







The edge of the wood before descending the hill again

 

Back round to the playing fields



I wasn't the only one out walking today



I think going for a conversion here is not without its issues



Weirdest garden sculpture I've seen this week:





Nothing to see at the rugby club



Back down to the water before heading home again



So that was it. Somewhere around 3.8 miles. And in the time it has taken me to upload these and resize them I seem to have lost all the lovely heat I had generated on my walk!

 

"If you go down in the woods today........................................."

Lynn

 

I've enjoyed this post, and I do something similar, but with running. I usually take a Canon Powershot S95 with me on my slow runs; it shoots RAW and fits in a small bum bag.

 

I hadn't considered such a thing. Perhaps one day when we have some money and/or some storage space! Right now I'm struggling financially and it would just get nicked if left in the garden so there woudn't be a whole lot of point ;-)

 

I went for a walk to the cemetery today to tend to my dad's and my daughters grave rather than drive (only about 1.25 miles each way) It was very cold. Took the camera that I fully charged yesterday. The buggers don't work very well though when the SD card is still in the laptop. I seem to do this too often. I have seen what may be a nice lone tree though. Access might not be great but I'll try another day.

 

I keep a SD card in my wallet for just such an occasion. Oddly enough in the 3 or so years I've been doing that I've never needed it

 

I did it once after quite a drive for the evening light. Never again!
I normally don't take the card out, but use the download lead instead, but I was on holiday with only a laptop and no lead. I now have a spare lead in the laptop bag so the card stays in the camera.

 

I've been saying for ages that I need to do that. Alas I keep forgetting!

 

Tuesday 27th February 2018

No walk yesterday - I went to visit a friend who is going through a bit of a crisis and ended up being there for six hours. Came home feeling utterly drained, as well as guilty that I hadn't been out. The map below shows today's route - just shy of 5K. Migraine aura hit just as I reached the corner where I come back down the hill again walking away from the upper railway line. Snow started trying to arrive when I turned right back towards the west on King Street. Not sure when my sock decided to slither down my foot causing my boots to rub against my shins but I've arrived home cold, limping, sniffing and with a lingering headache.




Princes Street, looking west towards the snow



Mailbox on Colquhoun Street not in use...really?


Curvy wall and hedge to match



Blatant disregarding of the sign



Tennis court in the front garden. Bit cold for it today to be fair.



Part of me would really like to live in a house with a round room and a turret. The cold and frozen part of me shudders at the thought of paying to keep it warm.



Looking back to where I've come from - down Colquhoun Street (named after the town's founder and the original divide between East And West Helensburgh)



I am assuming these are bird nests but why are they all in just the one tree? There were none in any of the neighbouring trees at all.



Pots

 

All the best art is born of suffering, so you're at least half way on the journey

 

Estate agents hiking the price of the other trees unnaturally, forcing all the tenants into the one overcrowded tree, pushing prices down even further.

 

It has occurred to me that the birds' nests above could be mistletoe



Catkins giving the erroneous impression that we're enjoying something approaching Spring.



If we had pavements, it might not be necessary to protect the bulbs from pedestrians



Tyre swing for a very short person



Posh house, plastic planters



Not sure where it is now, but somewhere there's a photograph of my four year old sefl standing next to these pillars.






I can't work out what this is - an elaborate playhouse? Or some kind of mill?



Snow at the police station

 

Wiring that fan in the last shot must have been a right rush job

 

Re. the playhouse/mill structure, it reminds me of the doocots you find in parts of Glasgow

Should you ever come across one in Glasgow, don't go near it . . . . they're very protective of their doos in Glasgow!

 

I hadn't thought about a doocot - you could be right, although I'm not convinced it's high enough. The only ones I've seen are like little mini tower blocks or something out of Rapunzel!

 

Yesterday was a bit of a disaster - the weather was the limiting factor as much as anything else. HOwever, my youngest and I did manage to get out for about twenty minutes which is how long it took us to walk what should have been about five minutes at most. It may have been quicker if we hadn't insisted on stopping to make snow angels every five seconds. And when I say 'we', I mean Felicity!

 

There are 3 really good images there - 2,3 and 4.