Water in My Boots!

 

It dawned wet………………..And wet it stayed, all day. So wet in fact, I didnt get the camera out!  However, once my skin got wet, there was no where for the rain to go, `cept in my boots.

I had left the comfort of my warm bed, to venture forth into the wilds of Galloway, ( I would have been first but?) it wasnt a long trip, maybe an hour all told.   Once saddled, I noticed the first obstacle to the rest of the day! 

Is there nothing worse, than having set a wet saddle? I mean its just the pits!  Anyway, off we went, a brisk  walk alongside the Stoan Loch, over the bridge at Black Water of Dee, and headed South towards the  Railway Viaduct  just outside Kirkcudbright.  The disused track provides a really cool trail,  easy going and well drained. We jogged on by Loch Skerrow, and continued South.  The rain, that is the incessant rain, continued its downward pouring, it cascaded off my coat, chaps, hat,  the remainder ran off the coat cuffs and fell off my fingers onto the rope reins.  I havent seen such rain for years.  Gracie was stoic to the end, her fine grey coat, now black in the wet,  her long silky mane plastered to her neck like so many strands of seaweed on a sandy shore. looking ahead was no delight, all I could see was drowning rabbits, and the occasional wet Deer.  It seemed as though God was having a good wash down! Anyway, the plan, well I did have a plan, it was to ride around the main section of the Galloway Forest, taking in the three  main places of interest.

But the only thing I was taking in, was the rain. I  had reached the ten mile point on the ride, and was in two minds to call it a day,  I was at Cullendoch, a small steading miles from anywhere!  From here I was to turn North towards Clatteringshaws,  roughly ten miles. I would be passing Loch Grannoch. Instead, while I was attempting to read a very wet map, a small man dressed in oilskins shouted to me from a corner of the steading,”There`s twee  trees doon a`lang the way laddie!”   I smiled!  There is a God after all! i said to no one in particular.

Obviously, I had no choice?  So i turned the horse towards Dunharberry Hill, and headed back home. It was a long ride, at least another fifteen miles to go, and with some really awful cloud coming down, the vis wasnt too good.  Any how, we passed Dunharberry Hill to our right, and headed onwards to Wellees Rigg. Here we turned right, and then left, towards Auchencloy Hill.  From here we bore left and down past the Auchencloy Monument. This marks the graves of Covenanters', and was raised around 1830. It was said that several Covenanter's were slain here, inthe 1600`s.

Once past this gloomy spot we waded the river Dee, and headed down the Raiders Road towards the car park!  Needless to say, it was still raining, and after a hasty retreat into the car, with Gracie tucked up in her trailer, it was off home for us! We`ll try again to do this 30 mile ride, well maybe, if the weather gets better!