Back in the East

Whilst many people sat semi-stationary on the M8, looking into the rear of a struggling HGV, this was my view. Rather than join the motorway slog, I had elected to take the A89. It was the only major West-East road in the central belt on which the travel bulletins were silent. I guessed that meant either that it was fine, or that it was a silly idea that no-one would think of. Either way, it beat the M8 (given the tales of 40 mile tail-backs last night...)

The drive was STUNNING.

Remote, deolate, pristine, and all those words that you can use to describe a view like this. I had to wait until there was a bridge over the railway to get enough elevation to begin to do the view justice with a camera. And even then it invovled wading through a waist-deep snow drift on the bridge to get to the parapet. The snow on the road was pretty deep in places too, but the deisel Pug 206 did me proud (once again).

The last 7 shots in this facebook gallery are from the same journey.

I'll back-Blip later on this (to preserve my longest daily blip record), but I wanted to mention Stephen and Lindsay who kindly put me up and fed me last night. They even gave me a tooth-brush to use (I had saved a piece of chewing gum to freshen my breath this morning!)...

You see, I had travelled across to Glasgow before the snow (I arrived as the first flakes were falling yesterday morning). And I had no intention of leaving until after the gritters and snow-ploughs had had chance to clear it up again. I reckon that would have been about 5pm, if there hadn't been mass public hysteria at midday when everyone at work took to the roads to try and get home. GIVE THE GRITTERS SPACE. What happened, of course, was entirely predictable and entirely avoidable. It was nothing to do with the fault of the Council roads departments (for whom I have no particular affection, but who have been rather hard done by in the past 24 hours), rather the panic of those who started home when the snow was on the ground at it's thickest (and added to by the late decision to close the schools).

Oh. I was going to save that for my back blip... never mind, I feel better having gotten it off my chest. And no offence intended to anyone I know who took the approach I described above, either...