Day 68: Back Home

Back in sunny Haddy

Welcome Home

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.1645295,4.5998385,6z/data=!4m2!6m1!4s206642877169871922500.0004c6846451326133bda

In the deep mid-winter

Star date 21 December 2011 and the shortest day of the year. From now on the days will slowly, oh so slowly become lighter!! In the mean time I will keep on with my routine which has been evolving over the last few weeks. The main point is that the best light of the day is often around midday till about 2.45 after which it starts to fade. So the things I like to do outside have to be organised to make best use of this time. Top of my list of things to do are painting, running and taking Harvey for a walk.  A bonus at this time of year is that very few people go out into the cold to visit the beautiful beaches and hills around East Lothian. Sunday morning was an exception... Harvey and I went for a run on Tyninghame beach and bumped into two people I know who were also running but not with each other. Still I did get a nice photo of the sun rise on the way there.

I have to say that my routine isn't strict. I quite like torch light runs. Monday night was still and cold and perfect for runnig. I ran along by the River Tyne and up past Seggarsdean farm... not a person in sight for that one








. I will also be running around Haddington tonight in the Festive 5 km handicap race. It all has to be done and dusted by 7.45 so that we can go along to the Tyneside for a Christmas meal and a bit of yo ho ho.

East Lothian

I live in East Lothian, which has a border with Edinburgh on it's east side. There is also a coast line of about 45 miles with many fine beaches. To the south, the county is bordered by the Lammermuir hills. East Lothian is mainly an agricultural county with the big town of Mussleburgh on the west side. There are some old mining towns of Tranent and Ormiston and towns with a fishing and trading history at Prestonpans, Port Seton and Dunbar. In the middle of the county is the market town of Haddington (where I live.) The rich people live in the East of East Lothian in the Biarritz of Scotland at North Berwick.

East Lothian is not too far from the border with England, and there is a history of invasion and battles between the Scots and the English... so there are a lot of castles in the county. One of the most dramatic is Tantallon Castle on the coast road between North Berwick and Dunbar. Castles and the sea make a great subject for painting. Here is a painting of Tantallon, I did at the end of last year.