Wet Wet Wet

After a little chat with the landlady about the joys of renovating a listed building (two years to get plans approved etc), I was on my way again. Nowhere near as hot as it ended yesterday but sun early on. Feet seemed good, in fact better than 24 hours earlier, and I was into a good pace.

Now I'm sensible but not paranoid about personal safety (don't suppose I'd be walking on own otherwise), so after an hour's plodding, when a 4wd type vehicle pulled in just ahead I kept an eye but continued walking towards it. It pulled out slowly and then alongside. The lady driver said "Do you want an ice lolly? You need it." And waved a Sombrero ice cream at me!!!! I spluttered "Thank you so much" and she smiled and drove off! Laughing as I unwrapped my lolly, the mind boggled as to why she had one in the car etc etc. I was smiling for hours.

I went through Lockerbie. It's odd how you know so much of the horrors the people went through but probably didn't previously have a clue as to where it was. I didn't see any signs to a memorial - I had thought I would make a detour. There was one for a Ukrainian POW thing though!

Onwards. I was learning that much of this bit of Scotland is either small or closed or both. Johnstonebridge was my lunch target, the name seemed to be in a reasonable font size... But, toe #4 on the right, the troublesome one from yesterday was whingeing. And I was getting bored with the lack of signs for J'bridge. I made for lunch at a truck stop. Good idea. If you want proper grub in good helping sizes, these are the places. And they provided a bag of ice :-) 11.46 miles done.

Troublesome toe was screaming at me. I re-dressed it and took painkillers (currently on co-codamol) but I felt like crying. About five minutes after hinting to Mike of the hurt, the drugs must have kicked in and I could walk. Even better (I thought), it was raining.

Johnstonebridge was only a mile and a half down the road and seemed to be not much more than a row of houses. Close call there.

It kept raining, place names passed and I was starting to think about where to spend the night. I know, pause at Beattock and ask about buses in a northerly direction. Nobody was in, the hotel on the map was closed and up for sale. Toe was hurting. It was still BLOODY RAINING. I followed a sign for a b&b in the hope of finding life. Nice man confessed he didn't have the new bus timetable but offered to drive me to Moffatt where there would be buses and information. Only a mile and a half he said but a wet mile and a half. I didn't refuse.
The Glasgow bus in just over an hour might do the job but I had to check in the Post Office if it stopped in my target town. (Abington for whatever reason). Just as well I did, it doesn't. Plan B? Sit and look at map. The name Biggar appeared and I'd seen it in the bus book so back I went. Nothing today, but one tomorrow at 09.55 and from there it's about 13 miles to the YH at New Lanark. Done.

So now I'm Moffatt looking for accommodation. Finally got someone 'to let me have' a twin for single occupation. I was dripping and offered to take my shoes off before entering. Accepted and then the man said he'd take them away and try to get them dry. Either that or he mistakenly thought I might do a runner! Not an en-suite room but it has a nice towelling dressing gown to wear :-)

So, my feet ache a little and my toe hurts slightly more. Hence, the short day planned for tomorrow. Goodness knows what the weather will bring.

Today's total a sometimes hurty 20.38 miles.

Please sponsor me: www.justgiving.com/womblejog
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device