Two tyred

I made some more bread today but it took until late afternoon to really feel like doing anything.  I needed milk, so eventually dragged myself out of the front door, clambered onboard Sensei Africa Twin, and set off the couple of miles down the road to the shops.

The couple of miles immediately took an exploratory bent, following my nose as it were, chugging and pop-bang-popping my way along the piddly wee roads.  I took in Carrington and not-quite Temple, instead visiting the back gate to Arniston House.  I have always misrembered it as "The Bear Gate", but it's actually The Cougar Gate, with two cougars surmounting the pillars.  The big house was built (well, begun) in 1726, but the gateway here isn't actually original: it was acquired in 1824 from a 1766 house on Nicolson Street in Edinburgh.

From Arniston I rode south towards the old lime workings at Esperston, following a route I took about ten years ago on a bike ride up the Granites with friends.  I didn't want to go up the Granites this time because I'd only end up riding all the way to Innerleithen and I wasn't for going that far, so after enjoying the view towards Edinburgh, I headed for the A7 and Arniston Engine, Newtongrange, Newbattle and onwards to Lasswade, where I took a wrong turn and ended up going past Dobbie's, so a quick blast along the bypass returned me to the shops, and then I completed my couple of miles home again.

Postscript: I was saddened to read that Tom Lehrer died today. 97 is a pretty good age.