The Three Ferries Tour.Kyles Of Bute.Tighnabruaich.Otter Ferry.

Where to start.I had been looking forward to this tour all summer.I last did it 10 years ago and it was one of the best cycle rides ever.Quiet and serene.Would I still be fit enough for it? I,d been in training recently putting in the miles and waiting for a good day to arrive.Its around 60 miles at a guess but it has a lot of ups and downs throughout its twisting duration.
On a sunny day like it was you have to arrive early to stand any chance of getting parked so I was up at 7.00am to catch the 8.45am ferry from Wemyss Bay to Rothesay for the first leg of the tour.

Bute was as beautiful and quiet as ever as I arrived in early morning sunshine around 9.30am.A free Friday. Crisp and fresh but with the promise of a hot day ahead. I cycled past sleepy Port Bannatyne with its Russian Tavern then along an empty ribbon of tarmac to the 2nd ferry of the day between Rhubodach and Colintraive.This is one of the shortest crossings in the UK.They used to swim the cattle across here as it was quicker.Cows were harder and much fitter back then though.

Only had a five minute wait for the ferry then I was across.The next stretch was very scenic.I took the small yellow back road up the shores of Loch Riddon.It was starting to heat up so I was glad to have the trees and shade down here.Loch Riddon is tidal and the cattle were taking advantage of this heading out across the mud flats to the edge of the River Ruel to cool down.

Next came the famous Kyles Of Bute much loved by writer Neil Munro and his wily highland creation Puffer Captain Para Handy.

I was really enjoying this section and it was as good as I remembered it.This is not  part of route 75 but I would link into this soon at the B 836. As soon as I did this my mood changed slightly.This whole area is signposted as" Argyll,s secret coast" Instantly ,as soon as I turned onto the A8003 I went from few cars to many.Under one a minute on this tarmac to Tighnabruaich.Most were large 4 by 4s,open topped sports cars or big six seater plus jobs.It always strikes me as odd that we are fast running out of oil and gas yet the cars seem to get bigger and bigger each year.

The scenery was still outstanding though so I wasn,t too bothered.Tighnabruaich came next. A lovely place and fairly hard to reach.Or so I thought.It seemed like everybody had seen the forecast and decided that this was the weekend to visit their holiday home. The place was jam packed with cars. Fair enough. Everyone was enjoying the sunshine. This is a popular place to sail into and moor the yacht just off shore. I,ve boated in here myself on more modest craft and had a great time.It was a lot quieter then though.Cant blame anyone either as it was a spell of good weather after a mediocre summer this year and everyone was keen to make the most of it.I was now on cycle route 75 which takes you around the "Secret Coast".By this time though,getting zoomed past at a car a minute, I was thinking secret from whom? A lifer in prison? A hermit on a desert Island? The people who put the signs up?

There was even a search and rescue helicopter buzzing about overhead.Might as well have the blackpool illuminations and the circus here as well I was thinking as I had my lunch on a bench.To be honest It was not that relaxing or peaceful.Not on a bike.Maybe I just picked a bad day in peak summer conditions though.
Next up ,to get away from all the traffic, I took the minor road loop to Ardlamont.Route 74.This was a very bad idea. Now I was on a tiny road with passing places and still had frequent cars. I,m not the brightest bulb in the showroom but even I could detect a pattern here.I should have cut my losses ,turned around and headed back to Bute to go cycling on empty roads there but I,m a stubborn bugger at times.I had my route in mind and I would see it through to the end.

I kept on going to Kilbride Bay where there is a stunning beach.It had a long line of cars in the lay by.Over 20 crammed into spaces for 5. Now I knew where all the passing cars had been heading for. It did look amazing though.Unfortunately I couldn't stop and had to keep pedalling.The amount of traffic on the roads had slowed me down.In a game of Rock, Paper,Scissors a speeding car will always beat a slower bike and I,d had to wait at every single passing place thus far as cars shot by.Also as a single guy on a beach with young children splashing around I was aware I would not be welcome and would be greeted with immediate suspicion by any parent watching.I,m always surprised there is any room left for anyone else on the planet with the number of paedophiles supposedly lurking round every corner,outside every home these days. As a teenager growing up in more innocent carefree times I would be a good samaritan occasionally if someone younger was hurt, lost or injured and would either help to find the parent ,hand them in to a large store or find a nearby police station.Now I avoid any contact whatsoever like the plague except to inform an elderly couple maybe if they look ok ,a women passerby or a family group if these are available. Then its up to them what they decide to do about it.Children,If  I,m not a  close relation of, have been a completely alien species to me now for many,many years.In this modern world they are to be avoided and shunned at all costs.Never,ever to be alone with one.Like standing next to a ticking bomb.This may seem harsh but I suspect many men outside of their own family group feel the same way.So I naturally try to avoid  placing myself on a suspect list.Society seems fairly  relaxed about breaking and ignoring every other value and taboo from years ago though. Good manners,patience, swearing and getting legless in public,aggressive driving attitudes towards complete strangers,promoting idiots as role models but this one is still written in very large letters. The number one bad apple.I,m not downplaying it but it  seems just a little unbalanced in the media and in peoples perceptions.
Hardly a mention about the real killer of children lurking in every street and town. Road deaths.Which I,d imagine outnumbers any lurking paedophiles by a million to one.Just a thought which probably sprang into my head after taking this picture below and remembering my own recent van knock down accident.Also getting passed by at speed by almost every car on the way down from Glasgow to Wemyss Bay and I,m not a slow driver. I was doing close to 70 ,the speed limit,yet got passed by a endless string of cars touching 80 to 90 miles an hour.I parked next to one that had passed me doing almost 100 yet they were still getting out when I arrived. We all seem to be in an increasing hurry to get places that don't actually move.Like hampsters on amphetamines placed in cars instead of inside big revolving wheels.Modern life is one big constant race to no where in particular.

 

Going by the diamond pattern I think this was once an adder.The road from Millhouse to Otter Ferry is mainly single track.Its the B8000.It should be quiet as its not particularly scenic,much of it is covered in conifer plantations with poor views out to sea.I was intending to turn off at Otter ferry then go up over the tiny minor road to Glendaruel then take the B836 back to Dunoon.Ten years ago this had been a great, well remembered trip.What a change in ten years though. All along this road animals, birds,insects and butterflies lay dead or dying in their hundreds.
I cant be too much of a hypocrite as I have a car myself but its only when you walk or cycle along a country road slowly you see the carnage motor cars leave in their wake.In places the tarmac looked like a trendy modernistic wallpaper with  nearly every species in Scotland flattened into the road surface.Multiply that by the number of roads in Britain and you get some idea of the scale of wildlife destruction UK wide.That's the ultimate carbon footprint and its a very heavy one. On wildlife and on people.

It was a  friday, not even a weekend but it was a living nightmare on a bike.Easily the worst three roads I have ever done on a bike in my life.I ended up walking large sections of them getting off at practically every incline. Not because I didn,t have the energy in my legs but because cars were so impatient.I was passed by over 100 cars on this stretch alone. Not one slowed down to respect a bike,some even tried to nudge me over onto the grass verge before I,d reached the passing place.Most regarded me as a bloody pest in the way.On a single track road I had cars overtake me at 50 miles an hour inches away from my body.I was clipped three times by wing mirrors which is why I started walking up any hills as cars would drive behind me inches from the end of my bike willing me to go faster towards the passing places trying all the time to squeeze past.

Put it this way. The only time I will ever do the B 836  again is if I win a lot of money buy a 2nd hand chieftain tank then get the chance to flatten every arsehole in a car that doesn't get out of the way fast enough.See how they like it.This is the tiny minor link road from Otter Ferry to Glendaruel though even here traffic passed me.How anyone can put this road (the B836) down as a cycle route is a mystery.Have they ever tried it in peak summer traffic? Zero out of ten as a cycle route except in grim conditions or in winter when cars are few. As anyone who visits this blog knows I usually look for the positive aspects in any place I visit,even areas others would  normally dismiss but I hated the B836 with a passion and couldn,t wait to get off it.Cycling the main Loch lomond road during an Easter holiday break would be safer.Count to ten.Relax.
This is Dunselma.Built in 1886 for the  powerful Coats family as a sailing lodge above Strone point by architects Rennison and Scott.It is now privately owned.
The multi millionaire Coats Family owned a Cotton empire based in Paisley.The Large mill in the centre of this town still stands today.

As a result of this  traffic I was well behind my predicted time and have never been so glad to to reach a main road again where I could cycle without coming to a grinding halt every time a car approached .Red Western ferry back to Gourock then a mad dash in the near dark along the pavements back to Wemyss Bay.I,d parked in my usual spot,The Garage car park which locks the adjoining parking compound at  9.30pm.Never having been this late before I hadn,t the phone number and hadn,t bothered to remember when it closed. I didn,t think time would ever be an issue.It was now almost 10.00pm and everyone had gone home.No emergency number.
It was either wait on the beach til 6.30am in the morning or get a train back to my house.

Luckily I managed to get one of the last trains departing from here along with my bike and arrived back in my house around 1.00am. An 18 hour day in total,10 of which had been spent in the saddle avoiding cars.Now I remember why I dislike cycling single track mainland roads in the highlands in summer.They may be B and C roads but being the only way in and out of communities many of them are no fun on a bike at peak periods in sunny weather.
Ironically, the myriad of minor  roads in the more populous central belt and east coast means that these roads are empty and far more peaceful.I will never do this route again...Ever... on a bike.
In the morning I took the train back down to get my car, happy to be a mad speed freak once again and get my revenge on any aggressive drivers that passed me. The sword of obsidian swung on more than a few occasions as I forced them into the ditch for a change and spilled their blood with my sharp stick out appendages instead. A lesson well learned.
Beam me back to the safety of the city and the estates and schemes of the central belt.At least if they run you over there they usually have a reason for it other than shaving five minutes off a journey time.
(This is a revised post. My first attempt was far too extreme and had far too many swear words in it for public consumption)

Dunfermline.Roscobie Hills.Loch Fitty.Pittencrieff Park.Townhill Loch.

Lucky dip days can sometimes be the best ones.Looking at a large scale map for somewhere new to go my eyes fell on Dunfermline. I could cycle from here around a part of Fife I didn't know very well.Parking was obvious from the OS map Falkirk and West Lothian Sheet 65. Townhill Loch Country park and Scottish water ski centre. I,d never been there either.  Off I went. It,s not that easy to find without a sat nav but I like a challenge.Half an hour of Dunfermline back streets and a petrol's worth of sat nav later I arrived at my destination , road map in hand. Who needs these new fangled toys when you have a roll down window, a shouty questioning voice and pedestrians not yet knocked over.
Part of the problem was that my OS map was old and bore no resemblance to the actual street layout.Dunfermline is one of the fastest growing towns in Scotland and the boundaries and minor roads I was following had been swallowed up by new build posh estates. And as any driver knows new build posh estates love endless roundabouts and cul de sacs.At this rate it will be a city soon. 22 cul de sacs later I took this picture above.

Off I went on my trusty bike. Although this is one of the most Industrial and urban areas of Fife with a network of small towns and villages I knew it would have bags of history and great scenery as well.It is Fife after all ,one of the oldest settled landscapes in Scotland.My first port of call was to visit the Roscobie hills via the bowershall minor road then the quiet B914. Although not high they have character and are Ideal for exploring on a bike.

Next up came the Saline hills past the Knockhill racing circuit, then hill end then Saline itself.I met a few local bikers here.It was a hot day but they were still wearing their leathers.I was glad I was just in a tee shirt and shorts.

Came back via the same B914 past  Temple and Steelend.Great names around here. A lot are coal mining or heavy industry related.
Next up was Kelty and Loch  Ore. I,d been here before but thought I take another wee tour round its shores.I met a 20 something girl here last year on a bench who had the most incredible and incendiary tattoos I,ve ever seen. Most were highly pornographic and explicit but very artistic as well.Almost visionary in design.A real work of art as well as an eyeopener. She looked liked she could live up to the wrapping paper billing though and I was keen to peel further :)
Call me an old pervert but on a hot sticky day unobtainable goals like these make the long miles feel shorter.I like Fife!
I,d also given my bum a treat with some jelly under it.I,d even got Alex some in case he fancied trying it too next time he was out.
Two weeks ago Lidl had a bike sale on and I,d bought two gel filled saddle slip ons.
By god I wish I,d got one years ago. No more dead ass at the end of a long ride.It ,s like sitting on a bouncy panda now!

Next up was Cowdenbeath. This is a place I,d always wondered about but had never visited before. I just imagined it as an ex mining town like so many others here but I was slightly disappointed by it. A nice enough place to live but too pretty and posh for my tastes. On a bike ride I like visiting rough places as well as beautiful scenery as a contrast. The wilder the better.  Cowdenbeath was too nice and ordinary for my tastes.
"Where,s the rough quarter herabouts?" I shouted to the few males walking about from my bike."Where,s the dodgy bits hiding?"
I got a few strange looks and it was only after the forth attempt I realised the zip on my trousers had worked its way down due to all the uphill effort thus far and my flesh coloured boxers were on show to the world.At least I think it was my boxers.
I liked Kingseat  better.This wasn't rough ,its a lovely wee village but it did have history boards on the main street informing visitors that the place was founded on rich seams of coal.There used to be a range of pits close by.Now its open cast mines nearby that employ the locals still involved in the industry which requires far fewer workers although its probably much safer.
I also found out Kingseat gets its name from the the tradition that a large stone stood here on this ridge between  Scone Palace and Dunfermline.There was only a small farmstead here at that time. It was fashioned into a great seat and the Kings of Scotland used to rest here sometimes before descending into Dunfermline Itself. Amazing the things you find out on a bike ride. Yet another thing I,d never heard of.

Loch Fitty came next. A bigger loch than it looks on the map and a popular fishing spot for local anglers.Never been here either.
Next came Crossgates a small village on a crossroads with a nice mural inshot again giving something of the history of the area.
The B916 came next which led me back into the bottom of Dunfermline.So far, due to the greater population in this central part of Fife, the roads had held more traffic than I,m used sharing the tarmac with but I reasoned  if I stuck to the back streets and wider pavements cutting up through the heart of  Dunfermline it would be no problem.

Dunfermline is a town with great history and character. Its also a really hilly son of a bitch on a bike.Especially at the end of an up and down cycle ride through rollercoaster terrain. They don't show contour lines under buildings on  maps but there must be a lot of them here.

Passed this unusual style of church first then a climb up on tiring legs to the Abbey. I could reach this through the beautiful grounds of Pittencrieff Park,a gift to the town from the Industrialist Andrew Carnegie who grew up here when it was an off limits private estate he always wanted to play in as a boy.Its a stunning park as its sits on a high ridge with extensive views over towards the Pentlands.Everything sits on a high ridge here.Carnegie is sometimes described as the second richest man in history but in his later years he did his best to give it all away to good causes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Carnegie

The Abbey and gardens in the formal part of the park.Just here where the trees are is a deep ravine which is also part of the park with walks and trails along its base.Its one of the best parks in the UK and a real asset to Dunfermline and its citizens.The tower has" King Robert The Bruce " one word carved around each of its four sides.Just past this comes the main shopping street and a chance to walk and stretch my legs.

Carnegie Museum. Pittencrieff Park.There used to be a smashing little zoo  near here years ago til vandals ruined it.The modern namby pamby world at work.Never would have happened in the days when you could hack off children's hands for bad behaviour and just get a ticking off for an over enthusiastic approach to discipline.They can piss,vomit ,crap and throw glass in the paddling pool now and you,ve just got to pat them on the head.
I still keep the scythe sharpened though in case the good old days ever return.

Dunfermline high street is one of the few still busy with shoppers although even here To Let signs are creeping in.I cant see them ever reviving the fortunes of our high streets in our towns and cities as long as major superstore chains are around. Its too easy to get all your stuff in one go there.Very few people have the time or inclination now to travel from shop to shop like they used to do.
"Why is it called Townhill Daddy?"
"Because its the highest hill in a very hilly town son"

I must have been too dumb to have asked questions like these as a boy. Otherwise I would have known I was in for a monster climb back up to the car.This is not even the top of the hill. Happy days.

Highlight of the trip was finding this. The tunnel leading down to St Margaret,s Cave. In her lifetime she was an exiled princess ,her family having a legitmate claim to the throne of England. Unfortuately she came of age just as William the Conquerer got his hands on it and the Normans were not known for letting go of assests easily once aquired.She arrived in Scotland instead.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Margaret_of_Scotland
Here after a while she married  King  Malcolm and became Queen Margaret of Scotland. She was raised a devout catholic and reputedly did many acts of penance and good works down here,tending the sick and needy underneath a large car park.Presumably admission was free of charge then as well. North and South Queensferry gets its name from her as she  established a free crossing  there allowing poorer pilgrams to visit St Andrews and other holy places on route.
Cave was OK. Loved the tunnel down to it and another chunk of history I knew very little about until now.A lucky dip day.Cant beat them sometimes for surprises.

Water Of Leith Walkway.Dean Village.Wester Hailes.

It seems like ages since I,ve visited Edinburgh so with a good forecast at low levels in the central belt I thought I,d do the Water of Leith walkway from Stockbridge to the Pentlands edge then return via the Union Canal. Distance wise Its only 20odd miles or so but as a large part of the history of Edinburgh lies draped along this humble waterway there is plenty of interesting places to slow you down.
I was also taking the bike along.You can cycle all of it though its better to walk some of the narrower sections out of consideration for pedestrians dogs and children.It can get busy in summer.This was no hardship as it gave me plenty of time to look around and take photographs.
If you like bombing along fast ,head down ,this city section is not for you as you will be stopping frequently except out of season.
I parked at my usual spot on Arboretum road just off Ferry road.Since my last visit Edinburgh has introduced monday to friday parking meters all around this part of the city but this road is still free at the moment.There are very few places now you can park in Edinburgh discreetly, free, yet safely without being in front of someones house.Nearby are the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens where you do have to pay to park now. This used to be a free road as well.Edinburgh loves its parking meters. It does have a problem with traffic congestion though.

I started off at Grange cricket ground just down from the gardens where I discovered the walkway dug up and closed off. Not a good start. I then battered along the cobbled streets Edinburgh is famous for til I reached Stockbridge and the large monument of St Bernard,s well with its raised roman style temple to Hygeia,Goddess of Health.
This stretch was broad and fairly quiet.Everyone I did meet in passing seemed to be speaking a different language to English.
I,ve been convinced for a while now that Edinburgh will one day overtake Glasgow in size. All the jobs and growth infrastructure seems to be based here these days.
Although I love Glasgow I,m not one of these folk that can only see the merits of their own city.I,ve always  loved exploring all cities everywhere, affluent and poorer districts alike and have a fairly good knowledge of  most of Scotland,s urban areas.

This is Dean Village on the Water Of Leith. Glasgow has nothing like this. Its a steep sided gorge and was once lined with warehouses and Mills powered by the river. Most of these have been restored and converted into flats and apartments. Its one of the most sought after locations although resident parking can be a problem as it was never designed for cars.Believe it or not I first discovered this area through David Bowie who walked  down here in the early morning after playing a gig in the city and mentioned the buildings and the Water of Leith in an interview in the music press. Probably late 1970,s I think. He always had a big interest in art and design.I followed in his footsteps soon after.It wasn,t as picture postcard then and had yet to be transformed fully.

The first reliable all year round  foot crossing over the Water Of Leith in ancient times was at this ford which was later spanned by a medieval stone bridge. Its amazing the ford is still here and not much altered. A newer bridge is here now though.

This is  it. A very popular spot with tourists and who can blame them. Although this district is small its full of  hidden passageways, steep twisting stairs and old courtyards. I love any city that has the balls and audacity to build across ravines and up steep hillsides and Edinburgh does it with such style.

As most of this district has narrow cobbled up and down lanes I got off and walked this part. Mind you unless you know it well who could zoom through this wonderland without exploring further? A lot of people have remarked its the most English of Scotland's cities which it is but its also very European in feel.There,s a good reason for this. Edinburgh on the East coast had more or less continuous trade with Europe for centuries and its Influence is obvious. Glasgow at its Victorian and Edwardian building peak had closer links with America and India and that helped to shape its style, both in thought and architecture.There was a great arts programme on recently "The Grit and the Glamour" about the number of world renowned artists to have developed their philosophy and work centred and based in Glasgow in the last 15 years. I,m not usually a fan of modern art but this group were exciting and had none of the pretentious twaddle and baggage that usually tends to put me off the modern art world to a large extent.

Murrayfield Stadium came next. Home to Scottish Rugby and International matches between nations playing the sport.Another big difference between these cities. Glasgow is football daft, cricket and rugby far less so. Edinburgh...well, you can see both these sports have a more prominent position here.Edinburgh in feel is also more genteel and middle class in outlook despite both cities having a fair spread of rich and poor districts.Easy way to tell if someone is  middle or upper class. Did they play rugby at school or football? Simple as that.

Slateford Park Came next along the walkway. Lovely park this with gardens in full summer bloom. Never been here. A first.
Then Came Craiglochart Dell and Colinton Dell. Two wooded gorges I,ve always fancied visiting but never seemed to get around to it.Loads of stairs here to run up and down carrying the bike. Punish that flabby body! Beat that gut into submission. Mind you I got passed halfway up one long twisting stair by an old guy around seventy sprinting past.me like a bloody teenager. Fairly took the wind out my sails as I thought I was doing OK til that point.He was probably an ex Olympian though inspired by the games starting.
There used to be various mills around here also, the remains of which can still be seen today.It was a hot day so I was glad of the shade down here. By this point I,d spotted 4 kingfishers(No, it wasn,t the same one four times) Like robins they are territorial and fight over each small stretch of river kingdom.They never stay still long enough for decent photos.

Spylaw House in the park of the same name.The water of Leith walkway gets more open here and you can build up a bit of speed on the bike all the way to Balerno where it ends.On the way back I cut off just past Currie to pick up the Green way which runs through the heart of Wester Hailes.Up until this point I,d seen plenty of other bikes and path walkers. Going down through Wester Hailes however I seemed to be the only bike in the district. Funny that .

For anyone who doesn,t know it Wester Hailes is like the Easterhouse or Drumchapel of Edinburgh.A massive housing scheme built on the outskirts rising over a hillside above the city.It used to get a bad reputation but it seems to have calmed down a lot these days, more cars on the streets and newly updated housing stock similar to the large Glasgow schemes which have all improved as well. Some of the more run down tower blocks have been pulled down here. I still remember getting bricks and bottles thrown at me going under one when I cycled up through here in the 1980,s.

Its also better to glide down the green way rather than pant up it when being chased as you can outsprint any packs of teenagers who fancy a bit of fun at your expense.I haven,t got the legs to run away from trouble anymore so a bike comes in handy:) Its also a good way of reaching the Union Canal as long as you know where you are going.

Just past the shopping centre you turn onto the Union Canal. There is more chance of coming to grief here as I nearly got sideswiped twice by racing sport colour clad mountain bikers whizzing past back towards the city on the narrow tow path. It makes a fine circular route returning this way.Edinburgh has a great network of cycle tracks and pathways.Just from my own experience I would say more people enjoy urban walking here.In Glasgow its mainly the parks they frequent.

As its Iconic central landmark Glasgow has the Red Road flats, soon to be pulled down,once the highest flats in western Europe. Edinburgh has this. The great southern wall of Wester Hailes bordering the canal. In its own way its as impressive a statement as any castle ramparts. Almost soviet like in its sheer monstrosity of scale and statement of intent.Sleeping accommodation built for a 1970,s workforce in a massive authoritarian brutal style.No wonder they used to call them dormitory suburbs.

This is only seven kilometres or so from the Castle, Dean village and the historic old town full of tourists but it might as well be a million miles away.I hope we have learnt from the mistakes of the past when building social housing for people.It always amazes me.
How could they possibly expect to stick a large population and young families into buildings like these with very little amenities on offer and expect everything to turn out fine and dandy?A large chunk of the population  of any city live in the outlying  districts away from most tourists eyes but they are just as much an integral part of Edinburgh as the tourist hotspots ,helping to shape its culture and character over the years.Wester Hailes is also very Iconic in its own right with some amazing architectural styles and great views over the city.Bet the underpasses and tunnels around here have been a witness to some interesting events and have tale or two to tell.

Edinburgh still likes its tall tenements although these are recent upmarket luxury apartments on the canal.This is an architectural nod to its past.Some of the worlds first skyscrapers developed around the crowded streets of the old town.Glasgow has always favoured tenements three or four stories high...Edinburgh  three, four,five or more levels.Glasgow likes square towers at the end of its buildings...Edinburgh has round ones.Its a major visual difference that sets them apart.
Really enjoyed my trip.Good to be back in Auld Reekie once again.If you can avoid the rush hour week days as that can be a real pain in both cities.

Obsidian Slices.Love Letters To Lucifer.

I like to keep my readers on their toes.And Myself.Experimenting with different themes and personalities keeps it fresh for me.Exploring new projects and landscapes of the mind.
Time for a flip then.Life has two sides to her coin.Dark side uppermost this week just for a change.A  pretty morning star theme. a reversal of religious symbolism and imagery.Did you know that Lucifer was actually a light bringer? My scalpel sharp Angel Of Jet.My King Of Babylon.

Apologies to the Goddess of the Waters.Wouldn,t this sight surprise the commuters travelling on the A80 though?  If sections of the church are so resistant to the idea of female Bishops...What about a female Jesus? Or one with more than human powers and emotions?

This post is all about perceptions.Reality or Illusion.I thought this workman was coming towards me with a knife.Great I thought.I,m finally getting my invite into hell.I couldn't wait to try out my new horns and tail down in the underworld. I,d even filed my teeth down to jaggy points in preparation for the big day.
"Boy am I glad to see you!" I grinned." Come here to Daddy!"
It actually turned out to be a thin plate of metal seen side on,like a cd case, which was needed for a repair.You never know about life.Reality or illusion.Its hard to tell sometimes.The workman was normal and passed by quickly...I was the threat. Strange days Indeed.I would not harm a butterfly.

I decided to find new places of adventure below the bad weather of this dismal summer.A few outings with a difference.
Signs and portents were everywhere.

"Rise" she said,whispering in my ear.

I Did. A metal Via Ferrata beckoned.I would threaten the very gates of heaven itself.A death wish played against the stars.To stand on the rooftops of this world and gaze down into the next.

Or was that also just a dream? A wish fulfilment to climb an urban mountain?All of them would soon be gone.

Glasgow will be a different place without its tower blocks reaching towards the sky.My lord will have lost his mighty towers of Babel all over again.

Even the followers of the law were leaving.No Clients left here.

But towers and walls they used to build for those who stray too far beyond the boundaries of reason.

Ah. To bake some pies filled to bursting with human eyes...A gift to feed my fairies.