Not Windy Standard 3 August

Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Gus, Ian, Jim, Jimmy, Kenny T, Malcolm, Robert

There was a surprisingly good turnout given the awful forecast and, as we assembled just beyond the waterworks, the consensus of opinion was that it would daft to attempt the hill today, given the prospect of high winds and heavy rain. It was decided that a walk around the reservoir would suffice and so we set off up the path towards the dam.

Heading up the far side of the reservoir

Having climbed the steps, the main party went left to do the walk in a clockwise direction, but two renegades, who for the sake of argument we will call Allan and Malcolm, went right, saying that they wanted to keep their feet dry on the better path and that they would return by the same route. After about forty minutes the righteous brothers came across timber felling towards the top of the loch and, having been advised to avoid the heavy machinery by friendly workers, proceeded on where they met eightsome reelers coming towards them, or so they thought.

Perhaps we could have just gone to Wetherspoon's

The rain had been steady but not pelting and there was an idea to extend the walk by walking down the road, which leads to Windy Standard, for a mile or so (not sure if this was a Jimmy mile!). Deciding that they were wet enough, our two dissenters turned and headed back to have lunch at the cars whilst the others made their way into the unknown. After about fifteen minutes, who should join A & M? but Holly. It was surmised that, since the rain was getting heavier, the decision to extend the walk was given up as a bad joke and that the guys were also heading back to the cars. This proved to be correct, and the company reassembled at the starting point and tried to get dried off and changed into dry clothes without getting any wetter. We were back at the cars in about an hour and a half – is this a record?
Having taken lunch, we headed off to the Sun in Cumnock for FRT. ‘Under new management’ said the sign, so we didn’t know what to expect. ‘A pint of Kronenbourg, please’. ‘We’ve run out’.  ‘OK, a pint of Guinness, then’. ‘We’ve run out of that too’. Having found something that hadn’t run out, we sat down for a blether whilst some of our company concentrated on watching some vintage athletics on the telly. When it came to the second round we asked if coffee was available. The reply was ‘Yes, but it’s no very guid!’ Kenny and Malcolm can testify to that fact. At least it was wet.
If nothing else, we got oot the hoose, took some exercise, and had some laughs.