It was an amazing sunrise but to be perfectly honest, there’s not a lot to be said for February this year…..unless you count the ‘d’ words: dark; dank; dreary; dreich; drizzly; I won’t go on, I’m sure you get the picture – you may have actually been in the picture and suffering alongside me. February seemed to go on forever while we all waited with baited breath for March! There were some highlights – a couple of days when we managed to drag ourselves out to get some fresh air but they were few and far between.

Let’s start on a high note….1st February the sun came out in Edinburgh and Laura and I had a girls day out beginning with a stroll through the sunny Sunday morning crowds in Stockbridge, a visit to the market and a wander through the Botanical Gardens – such a lovely day.

There was another day with sunshine when Mr M and I walked from the William Wallace statue just along the road from Scott’s View, down into Dryburgh and along the river, the sky was blue although there was ice on the ground. The good thing about ice is that it freezes the mud!

We also walked around St Boswell’s on a familiar route in thick slippy mud – an exhausting walk on this occasion luckily ending at the Mainstreet Trading Co – for lunch and book buying. Have a look at that arch in the photo below…. there are lots of them along the river bank – anyone know what it’s for?

Mr M and I also managed a few miles along the Teviot past the ruins of Roxborough Castle just outside of Kelso

And finally a few days ago a lovely walk following the Southern Upland Way out of Lauder over the moors and then down into the valley and up the very steep opposite side to Cuckoo Wood. We stopped to watch Roy the Sheep Dog rounding up the hill sheep and move them to dryer ground before heading back into Lauder for lunch at the Flat Cat Gallery – you can’t beat a good cafe at the end of a walk!

So….March is here! Spring is in the air – the crocus are flowering, the first daffodils are here and soon there will be blossom on the trees. Time to get gardening! And walking of course……..

See you in the Spring.