Day at Dunbar

Yes, there is a gap of a couple of months' of news. No good reason really - I have notes to fill in that gap but I may as well try to start with the recent stuff so that it stays fresh.

Sharon was doing a show down in Castle Douglas today so I took the boys out to Dunbar. Fortunately the forecast was more favourable than the recent rain-filled days would suggest so we all ended up a bit sunburnt, as much a result of the warm breeze as the infrequent sunshine. We parked by the big gun and Angus immediately led the way at rolling down a slope. Rowan was quick to copy him. Sean climbed on the gun to bask on the sun and Finn found a ladybird. Angus made us all laugh when he picked up a worm and did a dance of revulsion at its squidginess. We took the steps down to the pebbly beach between the cliffs and threw some stones, mindful of the hundreds of nesting kittiwakes perched in the cracks in the sandstone.

After that we climbed back up to have an all too rare picnic in this damp summer then we wandered down to the harbour to have a look at the fishing boats and nets and a seagull hopping about with a fish in its mouth. The wee three were very interested in a returning boat full of divers who laboured up the stairs with their diving gear on.

Having passed the time well enough, I finally took the boys into Lauderdale Park. They love the spinning, tilting orange bowl (ideal for Finn's oft-nominated game of "The World Is Tipping") and Angus and Finn had great fun in the sand pit. We eventually headed for home via Haddington, a strategic stop for ice lollies to break up the journey and, more importantly, the sleeps. Children who sleep all the way home tend not to go to bed easily!