The Calm Before The Storm...

I woke up on Sunday morning and upon peering-out of my bedroom window was delighted to see it was a beautiful, crisp and clear Scottish Winter's day. Perfect weather for a cycle and a bit of hillclimbing and since I was starting my new job the next day it would also help my jangling nerves!

I was ready to go by mid-day and headed off down the cycle track towards Lochwinnoch. I hadn't been out on my bike for a few months and she showed obvious signs off neglect as she rattled and groaned her way down the cycle track. A bit of TLC and WD40 would be required in the coming weeks.

Fifteen minutes into my journey and I was passing the ruins of the temple on Kenemuir Hill. The temple was used as a look out tower for wild deer when it was built in the 17th Century and is worth the climb to have a look round. However, there was no time today as I had bigger fish to fry!


The temple on Kenemuir Hill

After another fifteen minutes easy cycling, I arrived in Lochwinnoch. I stopped for a quick break to enjoy the scenery at Castle Semple Loch. It was bustling with people today with the weather being so nice. Lots of families were here for a walk in the country, feed the birds with scraps of bread or just sit in their cars to enjoy the view.


Castle Semple Loch


The loch, looking towards the East

I set off again, through the village and began the steep climb up towards Murshiel Park which sits about five miles away in the hills above Lochwinnoch. I stopped to catch my breath at a nice spot where a waterfall deposits the water from streams surrounding the village. The noise was deafening and I struggled to hear the songs on my mp3 player above the roar. Tiny drops of water rose up and caught the sunlight making mini rainbows in the air.


The Waterfall


The view of Castle Semple as you approach the park

I carried on towards the Park and with the hills getting gradually steeper, but the fine selection of tunes blasting into my eardrums helped spur me on. Today's destenation was getting closer, Misty Law, which stands at 510 metres. Not the highest peak I have climbed, but a good enough challenge for today.


Misty Law

I arrived at the visitors centre an hour and a half after setting off with plenty of time for a good walk before the light faded. The Car Park at the visitors centre was busy with plenty of walkers out today, I hoped it wouldn't be too busy as I enjoy the solitude. It gives me time to think.

http://www.clydemuirshiel.co.uk/

It took me about an hour and a quarter to get to the summit and as usual the view didn't dissapoint. Strangely, as I scrambled the last fifty metres, the theme from Star Wars started playing through my headphones. Not sure how I managed to get that onto my mp3 player, but I'm sure Darth Vader would have approved!


The view back down to the Visitor's Centre


I was so high up at the summit, I had to shut my eyes!


Looking towards Paisley


Towards The Trossachs, which unfortunately are obscured by cloud


The view towards Largs. On a really clear day you can see the Wind Farm at Ardrossan

I took a few pictures but the bitter cold hastened my descent. I spotted a path that led towards the neighbouring hill, so I decided to follow it to see where it led. Half an hour later, I turned a corner and found the ruins of a building...and the end of the path!


The "mysterious" path!

I had to descend the old fashioned way, over the boggy marshland and across the river at the bottom of the hill. I retrieved my bike and ate my Star Bar to give me an energy boost before zooming down the hill for home.

When my speedometre clocked 38mph, I decided it was perhaps time to slow down as I didn't really fancy ending up at the hospital as a patient rather than a nurse.

By 4.30 I was back home with a cup of hot coffee relaxing in a nice bath. My aching legs telling me that my winter hibernation was doing nothing for my overall fitness. Never mind, the camping trip to Glencoe at the end of this month should blow away any remaining cobwebs!

Last Day at Uni

After three years of ups and downs, trials and tribulations, and having to sit next to Liz, today was my final day (for the time being) as a student at the University of Paisley.

The day started with Liz picking me up at home and driving us into Paisley. Unfortunately there was no time to get a caffeine infusion from “Tommy’s Tasty Bites” before our first lecture as we arrived with only a couple of minutes to spare.


Collette, Liz, Michelle, me & Paula


The Cheeky Girls!

There was a definite “last day at school” kind of atmosphere with a lot of the kids in the class chatting and giggling during the lectures, myself included! Lynn Brown and Moya Paton did their best to keep order while we misbehaved and occasionally listened to what was being taught.


Liz demonstrates a good place to park your bike!

After lunch in the Union, Liz, Paula, Michelle and I headed back to “G” block, our home (for the most part) for the last three years for the final stint. Simon Carr was up next with a Career Development lecture. I must admit that I haven’t thought too far ahead about career development as I am just grateful to have got a job in the first place in the ward that I wanted.

At the end of the day Lyn had organised a Farewell Quiz for the class. Angela presented our class rep, Tracy with flowers, chocolates and wine for her hard work over the last three years and I asked the class to pose for a couple of pictures and endeared myself no end to them by asking the ugly ones to move to the back of the class!


Class rep, Tracy recieves her gifts


My fellow classmates


Lynn gets the quiz underway

Any sign of good will to all students quickly disappeared as we split into teams with everyone wanting their hands on the prize of Paisley University t-shirts with “February 2003 – Simply the Best” printed on the back.

Team names were chosen and Lyn donned a traditional nurses’ hat to show that she was the Quiz Master, with Moya’s hat designating her Ref, with a warning stating “do not argue!”. The judge’s hammer she was brandishing left us in no doubt of the power she possessed to add on and take away points at her discretion!

As the quiz progressed, Midge and Ann joined us and chaos ensued! Midge brought in her 1st year class from next door and they arrived just in time to try and identify the pictures of our lecturers, when they were kids. There was much hilarity and “Judge Moya” had to issue yellow cards to several teams for their cheek.


Anne Robinson, eat your heart out!


Midge,Lynn,Ann & Moya

As the points were totalled, my team (me, Liz, Paula, Michelle, and her bump) were in the lead for quite a while until a team on the other side of the room burst our bubble with a superior score. Alas, the t-shirts were not for us.


Gillian shows off her prize

And so, it was time to go. We had come to the end. Some of us had diplomas, some of us had degrees, some had jobs and some didn’t (yet). This would be the last time that I would see many of the people that I have sat in the classroom with for three years. I have made new friends, got a job that I love doing and hopefully, will be as good a nurse as I intend to be, as will my fellow class mates.
Like the t-shirt says:

FEBRUARY 2003-SIMPLY THE BEST!


John and friends


Sandra and friends


Staff Nurse Cumming and friends


The entire Class of 2003

 
A selection of snaps...