This was not a promising day, and just after the schools broke
up, so I wasn't sure if we'd get anyone. If we were short
on numbers we were long on toughness, three older boys, Allan,
JD and John Donaldson and two younger boys, Frerderik and
Jan Hendrick, but the young ones evened up the pace by taking
their bikes. Just two helpers: Christina and Philippa, with
Jonathan riding shotgun in the cross-country buggy, and Ellie
and Cora to protect us.
The day was not great and we set off at a cracking pace, to
leave more time at the beach. There were not many distractions
on the way, fewer ant nests than there used to be, but there
were some interesting droppings on the path loaded with bright
blue beetle wings. Apart from a few big dragonflies there
was little to detain us on the way and we pressed on to the
singing sands.
It had rained on the previous night so the sands were silent
yet again, but the dunes proved a big attraction to the older
three, who did some adventurous jumping down the soft slopes.
The other two boys, having left their bikes on the big hill,
did some exploring along the beach while Jonathon spent some
time in seriously looking at the surroundings. Cora tried
to scrounge a wafer, Ellie spent some time chasing waves and
I took some photographs of the clubmosses. After a few minutes
the sun came out and it got really hot for a bit. Everyone
wanted to stay but I didn't want to be late back so we all
assembled again.
Before setting off we had a look at a fine old house which
we hadn't visited before, not far from the Gortenfearn burn.
Then we gathered everything and everyone together and set
off up the hill again, pausing to take a look at Tobermory's
Cave on the way back.
John
Dye
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