Lock-in

It’s flippin’ cold here in Scotland, and I’ve had to put the heating on AND don two pairs of socks…in early September. Meanwhile a lady in Utah told me it was expected to reach 80 degrees yesterday.

A very welcome rest day on Saturday, to work on the route some more, make phone calls and send emails – which included writing to “unsuccessful” applicants, one of whom sweetly replied :

Sorry I am out of your scope of travel. Meeting other Scots who we still send cards to, I know you must be a really nice person. Good luck to you as I continue each day playing 2 people. Sally

The only time I ventured out was to visit the allotment for herbs to add to a pasta dish. As usual the gate was open, but while I was at my plot, someone locked it and I didn’t have a key. I was able to climb over it; but what about my bike? Somehow, in stages, I was able to lift my bike part of the way over the eight-foot gate, balance it, climb over the gate, lift it a bit higher, climb back over the gate, turn it this way, climb again, turn it a bit more, etc, etc. It was like the puzzle with the farmer trying to transport a sack of corn, a chicken and a fox across a river in his boat, which will only take two items at a time. Why he would want to take a fox in his boat is neither here nor there. Eventually, bike and man were both safely over the gate, with only minor scratches to hands and panniers. Several cars went past during this episode, although of course no one stopped to offer assistance. It’s nothing to do with them right? People in cars, hermetically sealed from the outside world...