#pop2014 hopefully by the time

I wasn't wanting to pressure, so had only asked the big wingpiglet a couple of times over the past couple of weeks if he'd wanted to come on the big bike ride with me again this year. Both times it was a big "Yes, on my balance bike" but on the second check this morning he said he didn't want to come in case he got scared from the noise. Fortunately a video of the previous year's post-minute's-silence bell-ringing persuaded him, after which there was just time to pop to Holyrood with a load of bamboo for one of the organisers (which I don't think was used and will have to be collected tomorrow and disposed of) and back to attach the seat to the bike, the balance bike to the handlebars, the wingpiglet to the seat and then the feet to the pedals to make it to the Meadows with seconds to spare before the minute's silence began. Grandparents and mother and brother had already arrived on the other side of the path and walked along in support. Despite usually trundling briskly along at a pace which requires me to trot to keep up he went along nice and safely and slowly (as he usually does when going downhill) most of the time, taking half an hour for the route (including a short stop on the high street whilst some motor traffic was allowed to cross North Bridge) but getting loads of nice grins and comments from the people overtaking us. It's hard to tell how enthused he is about things some of the time but afterwards he insisted that he wanted to go for a ride up the hill, toddling about for a bit around the loch and going a bit up before finally admitting that he was tired and getting back into the seat. He's technically too heavy for the seat now but shall be getting a pedal cycle for his birthday next month. Which he will hopefully finally qualify for, minimum-inside-leg-wise.