Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
Back On Two Wheels
by admin - 22:10 on 09 October 2010
In the past it wasn't uncommon for me to cover 15,000 motorcycling miles in a year. Times have changed; this year Kawasaki San has been cruelly neglected.
Today was warm, windless, the sun shone and there was nothing to keep me and Matchgirl at The Rural Retreat (apart from gardening, which was ignored again) – so there was no excuse not to get him on the road for the first time since July.
I'd expected jump leads to be required but the GTR was in a forgiving mood. He started after a couple of coughs and needed no more than his tyres bringing up to pressure before he was ready for action.
We set off with no destination in mind, so chance took us around the Black Isle, past Tore to Muir of Ord, along back roads to Marybank then the main road to Garve and Achnasheen where we stopped at Ledgowan Lodge for lunch – a place I've ridden past for years without venturing inside.
Ledgowan is a country house hotel (and bar) of the type much favoured by Matchgirl – high ceilings, comfy sofas, ornate staircases – and for a while she was most impressed, until she heard the residents discuss the stag they'd shot that morning, and noticed that much wall space was occupied by the antlered heads of many ex-deer.
It is a lodge, after all, in Wester Ross, which is pretty much one vast sporting estate and a magnet for public school-voiced huntin', shootin', and fishin' types, so I'm not sure why she was surprised. My venison sausages were very tasty though...
The place also offers a bunkhouse and camping, which could make it an ideal venue for a bike club weekend, although probably not with Matchgirl in attendance.
From there we took the Gairloch road to Braemore Junction and the direct route home, just in time to see Strictly Come Dancing. A great day out, and Kawasaki San behaved perfectly. I hope to give him another run soon.
Matchgirl and I were out and about by foot, yesterday, when we climbed up to the monument on Fyrish Hill. Snappery was performed but the results have not yet been examined. If anything's worth keeping you'll see it here tomorrow.
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