I was shivering so much my teeth were chattering and my body was physically shaking. July. Surely I cannot be this could in July can I? But I couldn't stop shaking. And I knew that despite the fact I had only walked a few feet from the car I would have to turn back. I said to my wife who looked surprised when I said how could I was. She had not more on than me and didn't feel the slightest bit cold. Was I imagining it? Was it just anxiety? On the latter although I could not see it at the time it appears to have been at least a factor. I have never been so happy to get a heat once locked away inside the car. But I did not feel panic. In fact I could have sat there quite the thing but it was late and we had to go home. More than that though as I started to heat up the thought of going out and shaking with the cold did not appeal. If only we had thought to pack jackets but who packs jackets in July? Scottish people, that's who. But we didn't. So we left.
Dunblane Cathedral. Its a beautiful building and I had been outside it but no further. There was a map in the car park showing a bridge over the river to a war memorial and that is where we were heading before I had to retreat. My wife was sure it was anxiety too. I can't argue. Just strange that I was definitely not having a panic attack- I would know. But we will return. If nothing else its the furthest north I have been in 9 years so that was an achievement and if anxiety did get the better of me then I will accept it because I cannot expect it plain sailing every time. We will go back fully equipped that is for sure. And even if I did not get to walk about I did at least get to see the famous gold post box at least.
Rouken Glen. Its somewhere else we have found to go and a lovely little place. I saw "we" but this time it was all my wife's doing. I had never heard of it before. In my search for new places to go to I had been looking at South Lanarkshire which is the region I live it so that made since. But that covers a huge area and where we are is actually close at points to other regions. So I had not looked beyond and my wife had found this park. Lovely. The focal point for the kids was a big play park but for me it was the waterfall. When I posted about Dalzell Estate I said I had been somewhere else but would post about it later. This is where it was and we did go back which gave me the opportunity to enjoy it properly.
The first time I go anywhere its usually a case of just getting through it and only when I return can I actually relax and enjoy the place. The first visit was not bad on the anxiety front but not great either. The photo of the falls above is taken from a footbridge across it. This was taken on the second visit. On the first I got there, snappy snap on automatic and then off to the next thing. It was like an endurance course to get through. The second time I did the same but before leaving stopped. I had a thought. The first time I was so disappointed by the images I had. So harsh and unappealing (see photos at the end of the post which were taken in haste). This time I decided if I took a longer exposure it would look better and it did. I was very pleased because I can't seem to find my tripod anywhere so had to take this shot handheld which is not easy with a longer exposure. It says more about my camera's inbuilt image stabilisation than my steady grip though if I am honest.
Again I will end with a selection of photos from my visit there. They say and mean more than I could ever write.
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