Real Rain and Marmot Failure
Day 15 Hiking. Friday, June 17.
Breakfast buffet. Potato scone, tomatoes, baked beans, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, bacon (like our ham only very salty). Plus two real fresh oranges peeled and sectioned and taken for the day in a ziplock bag.
Entrance to 200 year old Falkirk Tunnel. “Originally used to transport coal to central Edinburg. Doctors/medical students smuggled corpses of patients to Edinburg University. The bodies were hidden in containers labeled industrial chemicals.” No wonder it gave me the creeps.
Inside the 1/4 mile tunnel. The cobblestone path was a bit slippery. The flat looking water on the right was deceiving as out of the corner of the eye it looked like pavement. Finally had to put out a hand and gently hold the railing to keep a sense of bearing and well being. Maybe if another person had been going through at the same time it wouldn’t have been so spooky.
There was a 10k running event along the canal today. The
Life can be tough.
Alfred Nobel, Sweden. Had businesses in many countries. Here in Scotland he lived near by starting in 1871. His company here manufactured Explosives/Detonators near the Union Canal, where I walked today. There were many Nitroglycerin Hills. By 1907 Nobel’s Ardeer factory was the largest explosive factory in the world.
Dad out pushing baby in rain in plastic covered pram. Dad has no gloves or hat on in the rain, while I was wearing full Marmot gear and Sealskin gloves.
Me minding the dog while his dad took my photo on the only place to sit for 9 miles. The Marmot Rain suit totally failed. I was soaked inside.
Swan Bath.
Narrow boat camp.
Amazon is busy scurrying about the Scottish countryside.
The town of Linlithgow’s Coat of Arms shows a black dog chained to an oak tree. “Legend of a black greyhound where his master was sentenced to starve to death on an island on Linlithgow Loch. The dog swam to town everyday for food for his master, and saved his life. The townspeople took the symbol of the dog’s loyalty and bravery as their own. Local pub ‘The Black Bitch’ is one of the oldest in Scotland”. The pub is next door to where I am staying.
Left is the West Port Hotel (my bed) on the right the Black Bitch.
Walking through the village and looking down passageways like this there might be a garden, coffee shop, restaurant or child’s swing set.
Innocent Grapes Died for You.
The Cross Well lower right. “From a house on the site of the court was fired the shot, on 23 January 1570 that killed Regent Moray, half brother of Mary Queen of the Scots and Ruler of Scotland during the infancy of King James VI. This was the world’s first assassination of a head of state by firearm.” 
Swan feathers.
Park Hotel, Falkirk to West Port Hotel, Linlithgow
12.25 Miles. 29,460 Steps. 5 Hours (4 in pouring rain)
I had this Blog all written up and when I went to post it, did something goofy and lost a couple hours of work. 🤪. Nothing to do but start over.
“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.” Henry David Thoreau.
Breakfast buffet. Potato scone, tomatoes, baked beans, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, bacon (like our ham only very salty). Plus two real fresh oranges peeled and sectioned and taken for the day in a ziplock bag.
Entrance to 200 year old Falkirk Tunnel. “Originally used to transport coal to central Edinburg. Doctors/medical students smuggled corpses of patients to Edinburg University. The bodies were hidden in containers labeled industrial chemicals.” No wonder it gave me the creeps.
Inside the 1/4 mile tunnel. The cobblestone path was a bit slippery. The flat looking water on the right was deceiving as out of the corner of the eye it looked like pavement. Finally had to put out a hand and gently hold the railing to keep a sense of bearing and well being. Maybe if another person had been going through at the same time it wouldn’t have been so spooky.
There was a 10k running event along the canal today. The
mile/kilometer markers were tied to tiny branches.
Life can be tough.
Alfred Nobel, Sweden. Had businesses in many countries. Here in Scotland he lived near by starting in 1871. His company here manufactured Explosives/Detonators near the Union Canal, where I walked today. There were many Nitroglycerin Hills. By 1907 Nobel’s Ardeer factory was the largest explosive factory in the world.
Dad out pushing baby in rain in plastic covered pram. Dad has no gloves or hat on in the rain, while I was wearing full Marmot gear and Sealskin gloves.
Me minding the dog while his dad took my photo on the only place to sit for 9 miles. The Marmot Rain suit totally failed. I was soaked inside.
Swan Bath.
Narrow boat camp.
Amazon is busy scurrying about the Scottish countryside.
The town of Linlithgow’s Coat of Arms shows a black dog chained to an oak tree. “Legend of a black greyhound where his master was sentenced to starve to death on an island on Linlithgow Loch. The dog swam to town everyday for food for his master, and saved his life. The townspeople took the symbol of the dog’s loyalty and bravery as their own. Local pub ‘The Black Bitch’ is one of the oldest in Scotland”. The pub is next door to where I am staying.
Left is the West Port Hotel (my bed) on the right the Black Bitch.
Walking through the village and looking down passageways like this there might be a garden, coffee shop, restaurant or child’s swing set.
Innocent Grapes Died for You.
The Cross Well lower right. “From a house on the site of the court was fired the shot, on 23 January 1570 that killed Regent Moray, half brother of Mary Queen of the Scots and Ruler of Scotland during the infancy of King James VI. This was the world’s first assassination of a head of state by firearm.”
Swan feathers.
Tired. Knees are going wonky, especially left. Going forward on flat even ground is generally okay, but any sort of minor dip, difficult.
“Sheep like people, are ungovernable when hungry.” John Muir
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